Councillor Russell Green inspects some of the flooding in Lorikeet Drive.

Councillor Russell Green inspects some of the flooding in Lorikeet Drive.

THE water was rising quickly, but Peregian Beach woman Connie Mellish would not be moved.

Connie, in her 70s, wanted to have a shower first, and find a few essentials.

When she escaped, 30cm of water was spread through her home and she faced a swarm of fast-moving emergency workers, neighbours and friends all willing to pitch in.

“I was grabbing everything I could and thought, ‘The gin! The gin!’,” Connie laughed.

“By the time I had a quick shower, the floor was covered in water.

“We’ve had floods before but it has never come into the house.”

Between Lorikeet Drive and Peregian Beach is a flood-prone area walled in by giant sand dunes.

When the water rises it is caught between the homes and dunes, but usually recedes within hours.

This time the water was still high even 24 hours after the street flew into action.

Sharon Kerrigan has been caring for Connie while her house slowly dries out.

“(The water rising) happens every year but it was high already and we didn’t know we would get so much rain (on Tuesday),” Sharon said.

“The whole situation was amazing.

“There were families on holiday helping with the sandbagging.”

At its peak, about 100 people ranging from neighbours to brothers, friends and even Cr Russell Green had joined “the bucket brigade” to bail water from homes rapidly circled by floodwaters.

Cr Green organised two giant water pumps which proved to be the only thing that prevented more beachside homes from being affected.

Late yesterday the two machines still buzzed and whirred, consuming from one end of a lagoon and spitting it out the other end of 150 metres of rubber pipe.

Even as the grim state of her home and the lake that surrounds it sank in, Connie’s gratitude grew for the neighbours who helped her and the rest of the street.

“The neighbours have been amazing – they were here this morning mopping our floor.”

When asked about a bottle of gin on the table in her temporary home, Connie said, “I saved that, it was not quite the only thing I saved.”

Cr Green spent almost the entire day working with residents, connecting hoses and moving sandbags, even as the wrist he injured recently slowly heals.