CHRISTINE De Prinse was enjoying Christmas lunch with her family in South Australia when she received a panicked phone call from her neighbour in Eltham North to say a hailstorm had struck.
Her neighbour rang again during a second storm to say their Weidlich Street homes were being inundated.
‘‘There is no street. It’s a river,’’ De Prinse was told when she asked about her cars.
The De Prinse family returned home the next day to find the lower storey of their house had filled with 1.5 metres of water.
The family lost four cars, including a prized 1973 Mustang convertible which had been parked on the ground floor.
De Prinse said her 21-year-old son lost almost everything he owned.
‘‘We had muddy water, petrol and sewage coming up from the toilet,’’ De Prinse says.
Despite being insured, De Prinse estimates her family will be left $30,000 out of pocket. Even so, she says: ‘‘We’re not so badly off. At least we can still live in our home.’’
Eltham, Greensborough, Briar Hill, Macleod and Watsonia were among the suburbs worst affected by the Christmas Day deluge. Greensborough received 92mm of rain in less than an hour during the downpour, while 79mm fell in Bundoora. Some residents had to be rescued from their rooftops while others a few streets away were spared entirely.
Eltham SES controller Glen O’Donnell says they received 800 calls in the three days after the once-in-a-century floods. ‘‘I’ve lived in the area for 35 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it.’’
Elderly residents of the Eltham Retirement Centre had to be evacuated from their homes. Doctors at Nillumbik Medical Centre have been forced to work out of a medical centre in Research while their building is repaired.
The Insurance Council of Australia estimates the damage bill from insurance claims has topped $550 million. The total damage bill may top $1 billion.
In comparison, it ranks as Australia’s third worst natural disaster in 2011, behind the Queensland Floods and Cyclone Yasi – and almost four times as costly as Victoria’s February floods last year.
The floodwaters have long since receded, but for many residents the clean-up is just beginning.
On Christmas Day, Jim Ralis watched helplessly as waters rose around the Brougham Street, Eltham house he has lived in for 20 years. Within moments, his shed was filled with two metres of water.
Although the former painter had insurance, he says: ‘‘We’ve still lost three-quarters of everything we own.’’
With the house uninhabitable, his family has had to move into temporary accommodation in Watsonia.
Ralis blames poor drainage behind his house for the devastation but says his complaints to the council have fallen on deaf ears.
Fellow Eltham resident Kate* was also left homeless after stormwater drains overflowed and caused flash flooding in her street.
With her insurance claim yet to be processed, it may be five months before she can return home, she says.
The silver lining – if there is one – has been the sense of community spirit engendered by the floods, she says. Neighbours who were previously strangers have come together to help each other.
Parents at Briar Hill Preschool have spent their weekends holding working bees to repair the flood-ravaged kindergarten.
The kindergarten rallied the support of local business through an online campaign and, with the combined efforts of parents, the council and donations, is expected to reopen this week.
President Shannan Mudie said: ‘‘It has been a massive effort. Obviously there is still work to be done, but we’ll make do. We’re really grateful to be getting back on track just in time.’’
*Not her real name.
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