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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-11/victorian-flood-victim-builds-military-grade-levee-torrumbarry/104441784>
'It's been two years since floodwater devastated parts of Victoria, but Tuesday
Browell is still cleaning up at her property in Torrumbarry, near Echuca, on
the Victoria-New South Wales border.
"We're still finding things that have floated in and floated out," she said.
"There was a spa bath down there that wasn't ours.
"We moved everything to the shed and we're still sorting the shed out."
You can still see the flood level on trees near the lagoon on Ms Browell's
property, which is also home to more than 100 ancient scar trees and 40 ancient
sandalwood trees.
Ms Browell has a passion for environmental conservation, working with
traditional owners to protect the land, and says many visitors feel a spiritual
connection to this part of Wollithiga country.
Time seems to move more slowly on this pocket of native bushland. But in
October 2022, as flooding swallowed communities along the Murray River, the
residents of this tiny town were desperately trying to protect their homes.
When the flood hit Torrumbarry, water from the Murray River, a nearby lagoon
and surrounding creeks left Ms Browell stranded in her home for three and a
half months.
"We were Islanders," she joked.
"We had to take our boats and kayaks to go and get fresh water."
The humour is at odds with the physical and mental scars that remain from the
natural disaster.
"It was quite traumatic. Sitting and watching everything you own, sitting in
water or just above water. Everything was wrecked," she said.
"I realised afterwards that I had no flood insurance … only fire insurance."'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
