'I thought our number was up': Woman details the heart wrenching moment her family prepared to lose it all during the once-in-a-century Townsville floods
- Woman detailed heart wrenching moment she thought she would lose it all
- Sonia Solari lives close to the Ross River Dam and thought it would spill over
- She and her family were prepared to climb onto the roof to get to higher ground
- The story was posted to a Facebook page and has since gained lots of shares
- Tragedy struck Townsville as region was gripped by a once-in-a-century flood
A woman has detailed the heart wrenching moment she thought both her and her home were going to be swept away by rising floodwaters in Townsville.
Living just five minutes from the Ross River Dam, Sonia Solari spent the evening of February 3 on the edge of her seat waiting for the dam to spill over.
She shared her story to popular 'FNQ Flood Watch' Facebook page expressing her amazement with the city's community spirit and has since garnered more than 1,200 shares.
'Sunday night just after 8pm I heard the dam creaking and groaning, straining under the water weight,' Ms Solari wrote.
Despite having minimal damage from the torrential rains that plagued the city, Sonia Solari and her family were ready to lose it all (pictured: Ms Solari's home)
Living just five minutes from the Ross River Dam, Sonia Solari, spent the evening of February 3 (pictured: Ms Solari's home)
The region was thrown into chaos after more than a year's worth of rain fell in little more than a week
Despite having minimal damage from the torrential rains that plagued the city, Ms Solari and her family were ready to lose it all.
'I heard noises from that structure (maybe 2km away) that made my blood run cold. I heard the river howling and roaring like a wounded animal as the gates opened,' she said.
'I honestly thought, in spite of all assurances, that our number was up. All of our numbers.'
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Ms Solari had her family prepared for the worst, with their ID's in protective cases and a ladder ready for them to climb onto the roof if need be.
She talks about how North Queenslander's have always had a 'she'll be right attitude' but she admires how the community has come together in this time of devastation.
'Throughout the whole experience, I have noticed one thing. Our community, in spite of its failings, is a beautiful one,' Ms Solari said.
'The many small kindnesses I have witnessed this past week have astounded me. The rescue efforts in chest-high water, the sand-baggers in the pouring rain, the clean-ups, the volunteers, the offers of help, the generosities of local businesses.'
People remain holed up in evacuation centres waiting for the floodwaters to recede, with about 10,000 homes still without power
Ms Solari continues to say that although there has been monstrous loss from the floods, the town is better when everyone comes together in unity.
'Imagine the future of Townsville if we carried this forward. We just survived, together,' she said.
'I would rather live in this bubble of kindness we seem to have right now, even if it's in amongst all the destruction, than the negativity that somehow pervades our city and feeds off itself on social media.'
The region was thrown into chaos after more than a year's worth of rain fell on the North Queensland region in little more than a week.
Townsville resident David Mitchell (pictured) had his entire home to clear on Tuesday following the devastating floods
Despite a brief respite from the rain on Tuesday, more downpours are forecast to hit the region in the coming days
Townsville has been shattered in the past two weeks, with many homes, car parks and shopping centres almost totally submerged.
At least 2,000 residents have been affected by the 12-days of near-nonstop rain.
People remain holed up in evacuation centres waiting for the floodwaters to recede, with about 10,000 homes still without power.
Hundreds of homes have already been deemed uninhabitable and the number is expected to rise.
However, some residents were able to return to their homes and have begun hosing down their mud-filled houses.
At least 2,000 residents have been affected by the 12-days of near-nonstop rain
Dave Mitchell helps clean his brother's flood affected motel in Townsville on Tuesday
Many homeowners have been forced to throw-out their flood-damaged belongings.
Claims for damaged property and lost belongings have already exceeded $80million, with the bill set to soar as more residents return to their waterlogged homes.
The mood has been stoic but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned that while they are a resilient people, the enormity of what they'd been through would soon hit.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) said they had received more than 6500 claims, with more than half of those lodged in the span of 24 hours.
ICA Communications Manager Campbell Fuller told AAP they expected the bill from this event to be in line with Cyclone Oswald, which caused $1.26 billion of damage in Queensland and northern NSW in 2013.
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