The most touching moment from Townsville's flood crisis: 'Hero' family takes 60 stranded neighbours AND their pets into their home
- Mother-of-two Alicia Populin took 60 desperate people into her home on Sunday
- Came as her neighbours' homes in Townsville were inundated with floodwaters
- Locals called the SES for help, but there were too many to evacuate at one time
- Ms Populin said people realised her home had power, so 'headed towards light'
- The children of the neighbourhood sat in the theatre room of Ms Populin's home
- The adults waited nervously and did their best to 'ride it out' before help arrived
As Townsville's big wet rolled into its 12th day, locals took refuge at Alicia Populin's two-storey home. She is pictured with her family
As Townsville's big wet rolled into its 10th day, dozens of locals took refuge at Alicia Populin's two-storey home - waiting to be rescued from rising floodwaters.
The selfless mother-of-two took in 60 desperate people - as well as their pets - on Sunday night, in a touching moment amid a devastating crisis across North Queensland.
'We had dogs, we had cats, I think a guinea pig - I think we ended up with about 16 families here,' Ms Populin, who lives in Idalia in the city's south, told the ABC.
Those who arrived at her home had called the SES for help as water inundated their homes, but there were simply too many to evacuate at one time.
'So they started walking in... Because we had generators… I think people just realised, ''OK, they've got light'' and headed towards the light,' Ms Populin said.
The mother-of-two took in 60 desperate people - as well as their pets - on Sunday night. One is pictured making their way to her home
The children of the neighbourhood sat in the theatre room of Ms Populin's home, playing video games and watching movies
'We had a neighbour who had some sort of boat... and he was going out just around the street... Every time he'd say, ''I've got another family - is that OK?'' and I said: ''Of course, bring them in''.'
The children of the neighbourhood sat in the theatre room of Ms Populin's home, playing video games and watching movies, while the adults waited nervously and did their best to 'ride it out'.
The Army arrived at the property several hours later - taking the 60 or so people by boat to the Lavarack Barracks.
Ms Populin has since returned to her home, which avoided any extensive damage.
Her neighbours, who have dubbed Ms Populin and her family as 'true heroes', were not so lucky.
Ms Populin (pictured) has since returned to her home, which avoided any extensive damage
An aerial photo shows flood waters in Townsville, North Queensland, on Tuesday afternoon
Hundreds of people remain holed up in evacuation centres across Townsville, waiting for floodwaters to recede.
The monsoonal deluge is far from over, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning more heavy rain is likely from Palm Island, north of Townsville, south to Mackay on Wednesday.
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The ongoing severe weather warning follows the discovery of two men's bodies in a Townsville drain after floodwater receded.
A local resident said the men may have been sucked into man-sized pipes that lead to the drain from a liquor store where a looting incident had been reported.
Amelia Rankin checks on her neighbour Adam Hanson. The line on the wall at the right shows the water level reached overnight
The tragic news came as residents cautiously contemplated their losses and the massive mop-up operation ahead.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll says it is impossible to know how many homes have gone under across north Queensland.
'It's easily hundreds, it could be thousands,' she said on Tuesday, but added audit teams were being hampered by the enduring risk of flash floods with each new deluge.
The 12-day-old weather event has exhausted emergency service workers, who have carried out thousands of rescues since the crisis began.
A resident sweeps out his muddy lounge room after floodwaters receded in the suburb of Rosslea on Tuesday
Destroyed household goods are seen laying outside a home in the suburb of Rosslea
More than 100 fresh police officers and nurses will begin flying into Townsville to relieve their local colleagues on Wednesday.
Their arrival comes as schools in the region begin reopening as the monsoon trough slowly pushes south.
The vigorous weather system has delivered disaster to Townsville and generated floods out west, with farmers around Cloncurry, McKinlay and Flinders shire reporting livestock losses.
The rain isn't over yet, however, with the bureau saying six-hourly totals up to 200mm are likely into Wednesday in the warning area.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll says it is impossible to know how many homes have gone under across north Queensland
A convoy of armoured vehicles drives down a road in a flood affected area in Townsville on Tuesday
A severe weather warning has also been issued for the west coast of Cape York Peninsula where damaging winds and abnormally high tides are possible.
Major flood warnings also remain in place for the Ross, Haughton, Upper Burdekin, Flinders, Cloncurry and Leichhardt rivers.
An emergency alert was issued for Hughenden with the Flinders River expected to cause flooding on the north side.
This photo shows a dalmatian being rescued from floodwaters by the army on Monday
The rain isn't over yet, however, with the bureau saying six-hourly totals up to 200mm are likely into Wednesday
