Aussie spirit shines through horror storm: Family business leaves 1400 tarps out on the road for desperate locals to repair their houses with
- A family business in far north Queensland has donated more than 1000 tarps
- They were left out for locals whose homes have been damaged in horror storms
- The storm has entered day six and total rainfall is expected to hit two metres
- Paradise Outdoor Advertising said the tarps were worth about $50,000
In an extraordinary act of generosity, a family business has donated $50,000 worth of tarps to their local community in north Queensland after horror storms damaged hundreds of houses.
For the last three days, Paradise Outdoor Advertising has left palettes of tarps out the front of their office for residents to collect as they needed.
People were encouraged to come and take what they needed, and help others if they had the means.
'If your house and family are okay and safe, pass it on and maybe you can help the little old lady next door or your friends keep dry with a tarp,' a post on the business' Facebook page read.
A local business in Townsville, Queensland, left 1400 tarps out on the side of the road for locals whose homes have been damaged by a freak storm hitting the area
Tens of thousands of homes are thought to be at risk as the storm enters its sixth day
Authorities went door-to-door to warn locals of the risks of staying as the 'unprecedented' once-in-a-century storm devastated some suburbs of the north Queensland area
Dressed appropriately in hi-vis raincoats and thongs, owner Phil James and his son Mitch stood in the pouring rain as locals came by in their cars to pick up a tarp or two.
Phil and Mitch James encouraged locals to come and grab a tarp if their home needed patching up, or to come and grab one for a friend who was unable to leave their home
Pictures and video shared by employees of the advertising company and locals show long lines of traffic approaching the building, and a forklift is seen dumping more and more tarps onto the quickly-depleting pile.
Mitch James said when the rain eased up, residents would be able to use the tarps for a more joyful purpose.
'Dont throw them out,' he said. 'They make awesome slippery slides for the kids.'
When the James's finally ran out of tarps on Sunday afternoon, they said they had given out 1400 tarps to the Townsville community.
'We heard stories of people who were completely inundated, with children and the elderly who really needed the help,' they said in a post to their Facebook page.
'The skins we’ve given away reach close to 10km end to end, and are worth around $50,000.
'From our family to yours, we hope you are safe and dry! Look after each other.'
The horror storm has been labelled a 'catastrophe' by the Insurance Council of Australia, with losses estimated to hit $16.7million.
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Locals dived upon the valuable supplies, picking up $50,000 worth of tarps in about three days
Up to 300 homes had already been affected by flooding by Saturday afternoon, with the insurance bill expected to hit nearly $17million
With the storm now entering its sixth day, more than 500 homes were evacuated on Saturday night amid fears they would be submerged in flood water by the morning.
About 20,000 homes are thought to be in danger, and more than 400 army personnel have descended on the area to help locals sandbag their properties.
Authorities have provided more than 36,000 sandbags throughout the area, with council crews filling 10,000 of them as the flooding intensifies.
Pictured: Man walks through flood water in Rosslea, Townsville
