After thousands of locals had to flee to safety due to once-in-hundred-years floods, the locals are now starting to return back to their houses to assess and repair the damage.
(Photograph:AFP)
Piles of debris
As the water level receded, piles of damaged homes, piles of debris and mud-caked roads were revealed on the roads, gardens and inside houses.
(Photograph:AFP)
Assessing the damage
As the day progressed, people started stepping into homes to assess the damage caused by the floods. What was once a prized possession is now piles of destructed stuff.
(Photograph:AFP)
Truckloads of sadness
Many people had to fill trucks of discarded materials from their homes which had been destroyed by the heavy downpour. "That was pretty heartbreaking," a local told AFP. "But we're fortunate that we're able to save a lot of stuff."
(Photograph:AFP)
Farmers come to rescue
Farmers also came forward to help by donating hay as emergency feed for livestock and trucking it hundreds of miles across the country to help others who have "lost everything".
(Photograph:AFP)
Thousands rescued
Emergency services have responded to over 12,000 calls for help since the disaster struck late last week, rescuing more than 1,000 people from floodwaters.
