In the isolated northern NSW community of Coraki the stench from the dead animals hanging from trees is palpable.
They were caught there when local flooding combined with torrents from the Richmond and Wilsons Rivers earlier this week, totally isolating the Northern Rivers town.
The major flood level is unlikely to subside until the weekend, but residents are at least able to see the water begin to recede around their homes.
In the meantime many of the town's 1,200 residents have been living in their cars or at the evacuation centre established at Coraki's highest point, where illness is starting to spread and drinking water is running out.
Stacey Gordon drove to her daughter's house in Coraki from Lismore when the region got an evacuation warning earlier this week.
Little did she know the small town was destined for a similar fate as Lismore about 12 hours after the floods caused "absolute destruction" in the city.
"We were stranded on a roof for 16 hours in the rain with a two-year-old child and seven adults," Stacey said.
Stacey's daughter, Bethany Gordon, said when the group was picked up the next day the rescue boat "stopped perfectly at our roof".
"The water came up to the roof of our two-storey house and it has never flooded in past events," she said.
Stacey said the town had been divided up into "a few separate islands".
"Right now we're limiting water, we're limiting food," she said.
Toddler spends four days in car
Hannah Gordon (no relation to Stacey or Bethany) said living in her small car with her son and partner for more than four days was "a bit rough".
"Having a two-year-old in a footwell in the front seat to play with his toys is a bit much," she said.
Hannah was forced to set up on the opposite side of town to her flooded house.
"The water came in [the house] at least a couple of feet, so we've lost everything on the ground," she said.
"But we won't know all the damage till we can get over there.
"I'm just grateful we've got our car — some people have nothing."
Hannah said emergency services were prioritising getting the elderly and those with medical issues out of town first.
"They keep saying maybe tomorrow," she said.
'We were getting forgotten'
Karen Vidler has also been living in her car with her husband and dog with no idea how badly her house has been damaged.
She said it felt as though Coraki was not made a priority by emergency services and other support groups.
"It kind of felt like we were getting forgotten for a while there," she said.
"With the very little reception and internet that we do have, we could see that there were things happening in Lismore and then it shifted to Ballina.
"But I thought, 'Hang on a minute — what about little Coraki here, and Woodburn and Broadwater?'"
Ms Vidler said residents were pulling together.
"We're all obviously camped out on two streets here together," she said.
'The floodwater is sewage'
Alexandra Bruxner has been in communication with his parents in Coraki, who are among more than 250 people are stranded at the town's highest point.
"They have run out of food and are in need of fresh drinking water," Mr Bruxner said.
"We have had word that a food drop was meant to be delivered yesterday, but as of yet they have not received any supplies."
"People are getting the runs from drinking water — we have no clean water," she said.
"The floods have farm chemicals, petrol cans, oil, dead animals, dead people — and the sewage treatment plant is under water, so basically the floodwater is sewage."
"People are salvaging canned goods from their home in chest-high, filthy water.
"The oldies have skin tears and the flood water is infecting them — they are getting sick."
Ken Jordan evacuated his house in Coraki before the flood hit, but has now been able to return to assess the damage.
"We've lost everything in our house," he said.
"It just feels terrible."
Mr Jordan has been living in Coraki for 48 years and has never seen a flood hit the region so badly.
"I never thought I'd see a fridge float," he said.
