Working together: Old Toolamba resident Cynthia Findlay was proud of her community and how came together to help them trying to protect their house.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
As the floodwaters rose around her home in Old Toolamba, Cynthia Findlay felt the love of the small community.
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She and her husband Matt moved to Old Toolamba four years ago from Shepparton, with baby Harry born six months ago.
But, as flood waters rose around them last month, she said the lack of information for the area left them in the dark.
Staying alert: Cynthia Findlay’s house is still protected in case of further flooding.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Friends who worked for DTE Contracting in Toolamba helped them build a wall of sandbags, six or seven high, around the doors and entrances to the house.
Eight truckloads of sand and dirt were brought in to build a makeshift levee around the home to help protect the house from the looming threat of water.
Wonderful community: Cynthia Findlay says the clean up will be a huge one.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
As the floodwaters dropped last week, a muddy mess was revealed around the Findlay home, but the waist-high walls of sandbags remain in place in case of future flooding.
Mrs Findlay said she could not thank DTE Contracting enough.
While water got into the home, she said it could have been much worse.
Big mess: The water has left a torrent of mud around the home.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
“Everyone was so helpful with sandbagging in the days before the water rose on the Saturday (October 15),” Mrs Findlay said.
“We were very lucky and we are on a slab with the water only coming up through the house by 15cm.
“We are very grateful, with a lot of people who are worse off than us.”
Going down: The water is slowly receding at Toolamba.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Mrs Findlay said the clean-up around Old Toolamba and her house would be a “massive” one, but she has not given any thought to moving to somewhere less flood-prone.
“Cleaning up slowly as it will be a huge clean-up, especially at our house, and I think our community were amazing,” she said.
“I really like it here and I think we will get through it, as best we can.”
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