The floods came after months of pandemic induced stress, affecting communities and businesses already financially and emotionally crippled by Covid-19 and harsh social restrictions.
New freedoms were just coming into play, with masks and QR check-in requirements removed in many New South Wales settings on Friday. The changing rules started to increase trade and the spirit of local communities in the region.
In northern NSW, the pubs were busy again. People were out at the shops, and an element of cautious optimism was evident among the business owners at cafes and retail stores.
Then the rains came down, so quickly and so heavily that even the most dedicated weather watcher was caught unprepared.
The NSW premier Dominic Perrottet urged the northern rivers community to be patient, rather than endanger their lives taking risks around flood waters.
Lismore has borne the brunt.
People clung to roofs and power poles, while locals in tinnies risked their lives to rescue their neighbours.
The SES received 927 calls for assistance across the area in 24 hours and the defence forces were called in to help.
In Kyogle, the first text messages from the NSW SES warned of “unprecedented flooding” about 10am on Monday morning.
Residents began digging trenches, filling sandbags and watching as the rain carved flood paths across their properties.
Kyogle couple Kerry and Terry Winkler managed to get a couple of dozen sandbags in place to stop water rushing straight down the driveway and into the front door of their home.
“The councils drainage pipes are just not sufficient to deal with it but the local police and young fellows did a great job,” Winkler said.
Stranded visitors took refuge in local houses as the roads were cut off, including Anzac Drive from the western side of town.
Businesses across the region, including in Kyogle and Lismore, tried to rescue stock from the torrent.
Andrew and Megan Wilson were among those helping to sandbag homes. In 2008 they escaped disaster when flood waters reached more than 18m.
Also on board were some local police and a bunch of young peoplewho pitched in to help rescue other’s houses.
“There’s always someone worse off,” an old Lismore local told the television news.
Helen Hawkes is a freelance journalist based in Kyogle
