By Christopher Testa and Brendan Mounter, ABC
Mason Dingwall, 15, is colleting rubbish from flood-affected homes. (ABC Far North: Christopher Testa) Photo: ABC Far North: Christopher Testa
Residents in the Far North Queensland town of Cardwell are banding together to clean up ruined possessions and sweep thick mud from their homes after experiencing one of the region's worst floods.
Anthony Dingwall is used to wet conditions and wild winds, having lived in the coastal town about halfway between Cairns and Townsville for 40 years.
He survived tropical cyclone Yasi which wreaked mayhem on the Queensland coast in 2011, but said the storms that battered Cardwell with 1.5 metres of rain over the past week were "twice as bad".
His family was rescued by a swift water crew on Sunday night.
"I would've stayed but the missus got a bit frightened - can't swim," he said.
Standing in a granny flat where his children live, Mr Dingwall was just about to point to a dark brown line of mud where floodwaters reached when his foot slipped through the sodden floor.
"With Yasi, we had mess everywhere, but the water, it's made way more mess than the wind," he said.
Anthony Dingwall's family was rescued by a swift water crew on Sunday night. Photo: ABC Far North: Christopher Testa
Neighbours help each other
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 1,258 millimetres of rain in Cardwell over the first five days of February, including 490mm in the 24 hours to Monday morning alone.
Dozens of residents have spent much of the week, in between more rain showers, pulling flood-damaged furniture, whitegoods and household items out of their homes.
The fear now is the torrential rain will fall again.
Cassowary Coast Mayor Teresa Millwood said with further storms forecast, the local disaster management group was "definitely still on alert".
She hailed the "camaraderie" of locals chipping in to help each other pick up the pieces.
Floodwater is still pooling in Cardwell. Photo: ABC Far North: Christopher Testa
Among the tireless volunteers collecting debris and taking it to a makeshift dump the council has set up is Mr Dingwall's 15-year-old son Mason.
The teenager would usually be dividing his time between school and a job at the local ice works.
Instead, he has hooked up a trailer to a ride-on lawn mower and is helping flooded locals clear their yards.
"I don't mind helping the community," Mason said.
Mason, whose mother lives in Townsville, said it was a nervous three days before they were able to contact each other to confirm they were safe.
"We've known him since the day he was born and he's been really, really good, trying to help," long-time Cardwell resident Dianne Bach said of Mason.
"We don't have a lot of kids here now. A lot of them have grown up and gone."
People dump flood-damaged furniture at a makeshift tip in Cardwell. (ABC Far North: Christopher Testa) Photo: ABC Far North: Christopher Testa
Mud 'like cement'
Mrs Bach and her husband John are also coming to grips with flood damage to their home, having never been inundated before.
Among the items they were able to save were 30 years' worth of diaries and home rain gauge records they had kept since 1988.
"The mud was setting like cement," Mrs Bach said.
The Bach family home is one of 70 in Cardwell that have flooded.
The couple has found somewhere to stay with friends nearby and while it will only be a short-term arrangement, they are expecting a long wait to get home.
The storms have come with an added personal cost for Mrs Bach, who was forced to postpone a planned cataract operation in Townsville on Wednesday.
The Bruce Highway south to Ingham has not yet reopened, meaning travel is only possible north to Cairns.
It is the first time John and Dianne Bach's Cardwell home has been inundated. (ABC Far North: Brendan Mounter) Photo: ABC Far North: Brendan Mounter
Rain dampening recovery
Cr Millwood said the highway was likely to remain closed for at least a week, putting great strain on supplies.
"I'd say Cardwell is not faring so well at the moment," she said.
"We're doing our best to reassure them we will get the help they need."
Asked who he would like to see arrive in Cardwell to help, Mr Dingwall said "lots of insurance people".
"I hope they don't take too long," he said.
Mr Dingwall said he was proud of the contribution his son had made to the clean-up effort.
"With his little mower and trailer, he's moved a lot of gear - he's doing good," he said.
"And I'll tell you what, it's gonna take a lot more. It's a mess all right."
- ABC
