Susanna Freymark
I cried watching the news tonight. Seeing people in Taree and Coopernook piling their muddy belongings outside their homes was difficult to witness.
A woman wept as she watched a small digger lift her piles of stuff into a dump truck. A man said this was the last time he’d be reliving the memories of his stuff as it was taken away. He fought back his tears.
A dairy farmer couldn’t hide his grief. He cried as he gave feed to his dairy cows.
I don’t know how we will go on, he said.
He confessed he spent more time with his cows than he did with his wife. For a moment he almost laughed, but the tears won.
I write about this because I figure there are many of you out there reliving your own sorrow of the 2022 floods. Somehow, it feels easier to cry about people and towns I don’t know. Towns I might see a signpost too on a trip to Sydney.
It’s tough seeing these people going through what many of you did. I watched and wrote about your grief and sorrow. I took photos of your belongings in piles on the kerbside. I photographed shopkeepers cleaning out muddy shops.
I even heard a story about people down south getting in their tinnies to save people. One couple refused to leave their farm without their dogs so the SES made a makeshift raft out of branches for the dogs. There was video footage of them slowly paddling through brown floodwater to safety.
No doubt you’ve seen these photos and videos too.
And maybe it has made you cry too.
We’ve been there.
When the floods happened here in Richmond Valley and Kyogle I was busy. There were so many stories to tell and places to visit. I hadn’t realised how affected I still was from witnessing our flood disaster.
With Jimmy Malecki, I made the short film Tinnie Heroes which meant hearing more stories and more tragedy.
And of course, those stories were inspiring because so many of you showed courage and tenacity to save others. Some of your stories even made us laugh.
I know many of you are still repairing your homes or waiting to hear if you will get assistance to retrofit or raise your house.
I am thinking of you. With all my heart.
On a professional level, I continue to advocate for our communities in whatever way I can. Because the road to recovery after a flood disaster is a long one.
I spent my Sunday at a small hall at Eden Creek seeing a comedy play by Village Hall Players. The scenery was stunning with green hills and soft grass lining the edges of the slopes. Tall gums were reaching for the sunshine we are finally getting. It was an afternoon of laughter and community. It was soothing and gentle.
I’ve had friends and family overseas ask if I’m okay. To one of them I sent the message – Straya – as an explanation.
In Australia, it can flood in one part and be parched in another.
We’re okay here, I said. We’re okay.
And we are. Much love to you all.
If you want to donate to the flood efforts on the Mid North Coast go to the recommendations on this State Government site to avoid scams.
IndyNR.com has kept a page of all the flood stories from our region here.