Once the waters recede it’s the smell that hits you: an unmistakable, miserable earthy stench that is impossible to forget once it has invaded your nostrils.
Brisbane resident Rachael Roberts has been through floods twice, first in 2011 and now in 2022. “The smell – oh my god – it’s putrid,” she says. “It’s this dank smell like clothes that have gotten wet and haven’t dried properly and another layer of something like sewage – it’s stuck on everything and you can’t escape it.”
That smell is going to sear in the consciousness of thousands of south-east Queensland and NSW residents as they return to their flooded homes for a long and difficult clean up process over the next days and weeks.
Combined with the sight of your flooded home, it can be an overwhelming experience. Here, experts and people with experience of flooding share their suggestions for how to make the process as safe and smooth as possible.
Seek help immediately
It may take several weeks before you are able to safely return to your home, but aid is available long before that.
Deb Conradsen, whose rented house in Brisbane’s Yeronga was flooded to the eaves in 2011, said a lot of help came to her because her family had registered at an evacuation centre. “They take your name and address down and they know what you need and how badly you’ve been flooded.”
She was offered vouchers from the Salvation Army and the children’s school gave the family free uniforms. “At work they collected money and gave me gift vouchers to replace stuff. People started a list, ‘What Deb needs.’ Work just rallied around and gave us stuff like a dining room table. That was really helpful.”
Australian Red Cross national resilience adviser John Richardson said that rather than just braving it out, “recognise that it is traumatic and stressful”.
“This is a big major life event. Tell people – tell school, your workplace and hopefully they’re both supportive. Be proactive – go to your employer and tell them you’ll need time to sort it out. I’ve heard of people who’ve used up sick leave and annual leave and it was really hard. Use the financial assistance the government’s made available.”
If you have insurance, you should contact your insurer as soon as possible too, advises Prof Paula Jarzabkowski, who specialises in disaster recovery at the University of Queensland Business School. “Let them know there’s been a flood situation and you’re likely to make a claim. That’s going to make it quicker when you do make a claim.”
“You might think, ‘Oh my god all my files are wet’, but if you can remember who your insurance company was, they’ll have all that on company records, and you just give them your address and name.”
Jarzabkowski says it is important to ask your insurer what you’re eligible for, as some policies provide for emergency accommodation or clothing: “It may even provide for certain temporary things like toiletries and food spoilage.”
The Insurance Council of Australia says insurers may be able to organise emergency repairs to roofs “to minimise any hazards and prevent further damage.” They can help by “isolating damaged solar panels or electrical circuits and installing a roof tarp.” You may also be able to apply for urgent financial assistance.
Joining your local Facebook community group can also be useful, and many local councillors and MPs are putting together databases to match volunteers with those who need help, so it is worth reaching out to your local representatives.
Financial and material assistance
Applying for financial assistance can be daunting, especially if you have lost your identity documents. Evacuation centres can help you with the process, and may be able to connect you with charitable aid.
The federal government has made several forms of disaster relief payment available through Services Australia (phone: 180 22 66). These include a Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) of $1000 for an adult and $400 per child, and a Disaster Recovery Allowance of up to 13 weeks’ income assistance.
In Queensland the Emergency Hardship Assistance Grant is only available for seven days after the grant is activated in an affected area. Eligible applicants may receive $180 per person up to $900 for a family of five or more. Call 1800 173 349.
The New South Wales government offers a Disaster Relief Grant for low-income earners whose home has been damaged by a natural disaster and who don’t have insurance. Call 13 77 88.
You might be eligible for extra help with the cost of approved childcare: find out by checking Additional Child Care Subsidy Temporary Financial Hardship.
Many banks are supporting customers affected by the floods: find a list of emergency assistance hotlines on the Australian Banking Association website.
Contact the National Debt helpline on 1800 007 007 for confidential counselling and resources.
Givit links donors with people who need specific items.
Community centres and places of worship can often help with food, shelter and sourcing volunteers.
If you are having difficulty with your bank or insurer, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority can help with disputes.
Prepare emotionally before you return
John Richardson of the Red Cross says residents need to gird themselves, both physically and emotionally. “Start preparing yourself to make that trip home. There’s a practical side: make sure you have sensible clothes – boots and long pants and long-sleeved shirts – protective equipment [gloves, masks and glasses], take a torch, make sure you have water and food, a full tank of petrol and mobile phones charged. The other side is preparing your mind for what you might encounter.”
“You’ll be confronted and it can be quite emotional and that’s OK,” he says.
Richardson has seen the aftermath of countless floods and says it assaults all the senses: “There will be smells and sights – flood waters are pretty icky and there’s a lot of sediment in them and there can be faeces and sewerage and that can make things really smelly. The visuals – it will be very brown.
“In Queensland and New South Wales the humidity means if the house has been closed it can be quite oppressive. Mould can be there: you’ll see it in furnishings and curtains. There will be a watermark if water’s got into your house … There might be dead animals.”
“We’re connected to homes and what’s in it. Allow yourself to be emotional. If you think, ‘I can’t do this today’ that’s OK as well,” he says.
Lifeline has a team of professional counsellors who can talk to you about your mental health concerns, or those you have for a loved one. You can call the 24/7 crisis support helpline on 13 11 14 or text or message them online here.
Beyond Blue also provides a 24/7 counselling service over the phone. You can reach them at 1300 22 4636, or visit them online to direct message or email a counsellor.
Headspace also helps young Australians experiencing mental health concerns – call them on 1800 650 890 or contact them online here.
Lifeline also has a Lifeline Community Recovery team who visit communities to provide counselling and psychological first aid in the weeks and months after major weather events. More information is available here.
Make sure your home is safe to enter
Do not enter a flooded home until you are certain it is safe to do so. “It’s like doing first aid: you have to assess the situation and make sure it’s safe for you before you help anyone else,” said Master Builders building services manager Tony Mitchell.
Although it may delay access to your home, Mitchell suggests you get licensed contractors to check your electricity, gas, sewerage and water. “If the home is subsiding and collapsing, [the homeowner] should be engaging a structural engineer to make an assessment of whether they should even be going inside, and if it can be fixed,” he says.
If you have insurance, Mitchell suggests contacting your insurer and waiting for their instructions before attempting any clean up.
Mitchell says the same cautions apply for both residents and clean up volunteers. In 2011, Brisbane’s Mud Army mobilised quickly and organically after the floods, but this raised serious concerns for Mitchell. “Has someone checked the electricity? It’s nice to have community conscience, but in 2011 they stuffed it up when they simply turned up with buckets and rakes and shovels … it’s lucky no one was killed.”
With many houses now fitted with solar panels the risks are even greater. Mitchell said that a house could still be live, even if the power to the neighbourhood was cut, or mains power was switched off.
“Check the electrical, especially with solar panels. The size of those things, and especially if they have battery storage on site, they could be dangerous with energised electrical circuits throughout the dwelling, and dangerous gases.”
Other hazards to be aware of include asbestos: “Anything built pre-1980 potentially has asbestos somewhere throughout the home,” Mitchell says. “You can find it in lino, old meter boxes, and floor coverings, wall linings and ceilings.”
Document everything
Once you have confirmed it is safe to enter your home, Jarzabkowski says it is important to photograph everything before moving it, especially if you have insurance.
“If you don’t have a phone, get a volunteer to help you get a bunch of photos, because it will make it so much easier for the insurance company if they can clearly see what’s happened and that the damage you’re claiming is real.
“It’s a very emotional process,” she says. “It can feel like they’re hostile to you or they don’t believe you, but that’s not the case: they’re just doing the right thing and checking that you did have that [item you are claiming].”
Collect as much detail as possible, including photos from several angles, and showing the whole furniture piece, rather than just the damaged section. “If it’s carpet or a lounge, keep a sample of the material to show them,” Jarzabkowski says. “As you’re throwing it out, jot down somewhere as much info as you have – ‘it was a three-seater sofa that I bought from Ikea in 2019’. If you can’t remember precisely, just put down roughly what you can.”
She suggests recording serial numbers where possible and taking photos of the general damage to the home as well as specific items.
Jarzabkowski suggests enlisting volunteers to help you record your losses, especially if you’re finding it hard emotionally. “Some people might not be physically strong enough to haul out a sofa, but they might be able to write down information in a sympathetic way and be helpful.”
Taking time to listen to the owner’s wishes is one of the best ways clean-up volunteers can help. “When people are given some choice over what happens to their things, even if it takes a little bit longer, it is a really good part of the emotional healing.”
Advice for renters
In rental properties, it is the owner’s responsibility to organise and pay for cleaning and repair, but the tenant needs to look after their own furniture and possessions.
Renters are eligible for a rent waiver if they can’t live in the property, or a rent decrease if it is damaged. Tenants Queensland CEO, Penny Carr, says: “The best advice for anyone is to take evidence, put things in writing and be clear about what you want.”
“If it’s about a rent decrease, you need to be clear about the loss of amenity. That is, when you can’t use everything you’re paying for in your rent, including rooms that are out of action, the back yard or supplied furniture … It’s fine to do things verbally, but always follow up in writing and keep evidence.”
“Take photos of the roof leak or take photos of the damaged bathroom.”
For rent decrease requests, she suggests specifying “how much, when it starts, when it ends, and if the end is not clear, specify an event like ‘when the bathroom is fully functional’. Also be clear about when you want the landlord to respond to you”.
If your landlord disagrees, contact your tenancy advice service: Tenants Queensland or the Tenants Union of NSW. You can also take the matter to the administrative tribunal in your state: QCAT or NSWCAT. Tenants Queensland has a useful fact sheet for tenants affected by floods and storms, including a draft letter you can use to apply for a rent decrease.
Carr said the regular rules applied to entry – landlords still have to give tenants notice before entering the dwelling. “We have had a few calls when the owner or real estate agent has just lobbed in and that’s just not on. People are already feeling violated by the floods and losing their goods and they feel outraged that someone is in their home.”
This happened to Deb Conradsen in 2011. She returned to find “the owner came in before we could come back … and he threw out whatever was left in the house. Everything was on the pavement except what we’d locked in the cupboards. He’d started ripping all the walls off.” Family heirlooms she could have saved were looted from the footpath.
Carr says: “it’s not for the owner to decide what’s done with furniture that doesn’t belong to them. They can’t just turn up to do repairs. They still have to give 24 hours notice.”
The clean up
Rachael Roberts, who has seen floods sweep through the lower level of her homes in West End in 2011 and this year in Yeronga, said: “I think seeing all your stuff ruined is overwhelming and you don’t know where to start and what to do and trying to figure out what needs to be saved.”
Her solution was to work with a team of friends and neighbourhood volunteers to make separate piles for rubbish, things that needed more thought, and things to be salvaged.
Don’t be tempted to leave anything you want to keep on the lawn, she says. After the downstairs area was high-pressure cleaned, Roberts says, “everyone in our street came out and helped us put all the stuff that we potentially wanted to save back in under the house overnight”.
“I was surprised, but some of our neighbours were saying that there’s quite a lot of people who will come around and take stuff.”
River mud, though potentially contaminated with sewage, can be washed off crockery, glass, plastic, cutlery, solid wood and clothes. The Insurance Council of Australia advises, “do not throw out goods that can be salvaged or repaired”.
With no insurance, Conradsen lost almost everything, but she is still grateful for the household items she was able to save. “We’d tied up all our cupboards hoping we could come back for our plates and things because you can wash them off … I still have those pots and plates.”
You’re going to have to deal with mould, which can pose a health risk if you suffer from asthma, lung disease, or have low immunity. Queensland Health’s dealing with mould fact sheet outlines how to safely clean mould off surfaces.
Basic hygiene
Wear protective clothing, including long-sleeved shirts and pants, sturdy boots, gloves and eye protection.
Wash your hands with soap before touching your face, eating, drinking or smoking: sanitiser isn’t enough, so keep some soap and clean water handy.
Clean, treat and cover any cuts immediately. Flood water and mud is full of pathogens as well as industrial, medical and chemical waste.
Wear sunscreen and mosquito repellent, wear a hat and drink lots of water.
If you’re living in your house while cleaning a flood-affected lower level or yard, remember that you’re potentially tramping faecal matter inside, so take shoes off and wash floors frequently.
What must be thrown away
Richardson, of the Red Cross says you must throw out all food, beverages and medicine exposed to water and mud, including canned goods and containers with food or liquid that have been sealed shut: “When in doubt, throw it out”.
Queensland Health says drying things out as quickly as possible is key to preventing mould, and if you can’t dry an item out in two days, it needs to be thrown out. This includes mattresses, couches and insulation.
Water damaged goods like saturated carpets and soft furnishings can pose health risks if left in the home, so the Insurance Council of Australia recommends these be removed from the home and disposed of as soon as possible.
Giddens Furniture Restoration owner Bruce Hawkesford says that while some furniture can be salvaged: “I wouldn’t bother with things like radiata pine, which is a cheap, fast-growing timber. All chipboard furniture is not repairable.”
Do check drawers before throwing out furniture. In the 2011 Brisbane floods people lost jewellery and documents that had been stored, and sometimes even taped in unlikely places.
Richardson says appliances need to be checked by a professional to make sure they are safe to use, and warns that fridges and freezers have “foam insulation and sealed components that may be water damaged. They should be emptied, cleaned, disinfected and checked by a professional or replaced.”
“If you receive advice that an expensive appliance should be replaced, get this in writing and discuss it with your insurance assessor before you buy another one,” he said.
When placing destroyed items on the kerb, Brisbane resident Jonathan Klupp – who went through flooding in 2011 suggests: “Put an old towel or rug or cardboard under the junk pile on the footpath – it captures any broken plastic or glass.”
Salvaging tips
Red Cross Australia has excellent tips for cleaning up after a flood.
Crockery and pots: Conradsen says that she used a three tub system to wash her plates and crockery after the 2011 flood. “The first was a mud wash and the next was soap and water and the third was antiseptic.”
Richardson says washing water must be clean, and you should air dry dishes rather than using a tea towel.
Furniture: Conradsen’s tip is to wash the mud off while still wet if possible. “The mud cakes and if you don’t get it off immediately it’s had it. I have some furniture that we got out – we cleaned them and [pressure washed] them, but 10 years later you can still see it.”
Furniture restorer Hawkesford says that, “anything made from quality solid timber can be restored”. That includes anything made of Australian hardwoods and silky oak. “English oak doesn’t mind water – they built ships out of it.”
“Just give it a good hose and then leave it somewhere well ventilated,” he says. “It should be dried without heat, so don’t leave it in the sun, but somewhere well ventilated with a cold fan blowing over it is fine. Heat will damage the furniture, as it expands the water in the timber itself. Once it’s clean and dry, follow up with a restorer.”
Hawkesford said insured owners who really wanted to restore furniture might need to insist the piece had sentimental value or was a family heirloom: “Because the cost of restoration has increased, the insurance companies are hoping the customer will take a settlement and buy something new. They don’t want it hanging around on their books for 12 months.”
But if you care about a piece, it is worth trying to save it. “I knew a piano technician who picked up a grand piano from the side of the road in 2011 and restored it.”
Appliances: If an electrician says they are safe to salvage, the Red Cross recommends you: “Clean and disinfect dishwashers, washing machines and dryers only with water that has been declared safe for drinking.”
Books and photographs: Conservation experts from the State Library of Queensland have useful advice for salvaging damaged collections of books, photographs or artworks. Their main tip is that it’s important to attend to damage as soon as possible, to prevent it becoming permanent.
Clothes and towels: You can wash dirty cloth nappies, so it is possible to wash most clothes and bedding. This is a great job for a volunteer, who can wash your clothes on a hot cycle (over 60 degrees) with clean water.
Remove as much mud as possible before you put fabric in the washing machine and add bleach or, for sensitive fabrics, a commercial sanitising cleaner.
If you are doing the laundry at your own home, Richardson says: “If the water is safe to drink and the sewer line or septic tank works, run the washing machine through one full cycle using hot water and a disinfectant or sanitiser before you wash.”
Soft furnishings: Emergency Management Australia says “feather and foam rubber pillows may be washed but those stuffed with kapok or cotton may not”.
Dry cleaning may be an option for expensive curtains: dry them out to prevent mildew and shake out as much mud as possible before taking them to the dry cleaner. Hawkesford said most modern upholstered furniture will have to be thrown out “because it has been built on such cheap frames” and isn’t worth restoring.
Interiors: If you live in a Queenslander, Mitchell says the interior clean up can be simple. “If it’s a true old Queenslander with VJ timber walls you can just hose them out. The casement windows get a bit wobbly, the doors jam, but they’re sturdy.” Newer houses are likely to have plaster or fibre-board sheeting that “don’t survive very well”.
How much needs to be ripped out depends on the water level: “In Mackay in 2008 a lot of the houses were wet only to 1m, so they ripped out the bottom layer and dried it out and they’ve performed adequately since then.” Mitchell says to check for asbestos before ripping out any walls.
Gardens and lawns: Klupp says, “in 2011 we had a lot of plants die then rot, adding to the smell”. He suggests you “give your garden and grass a quick hose to get the black mud off.”
