The year 2022 will long be remembered for its devastating floods starting with Lismore in February and saw rivers reach record heights.
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After months of heavy rainfall Wollombi Brook would reach record levels on July 5 2022 inundating the village of Broke destroying homes and infrastructure. The community was left reeling in the flood's wake and its aftermath. Support for the community was immediate and remains ongoing.
Part of that support is the "Beyond the Deluge: Flood Resilience Stories from the Hunter Valley" project where the Singleton Neighbourhood Centre and Kintsugi Heroes partnered to record and publish the stories of 12 local community members about their experiences with the 2022 Hunter Valley floods.
The project objective was to improve community connectedness and cohesion following the floods and also to help people to overcome their anxiety, improve their sense of mental well-being, and create a sense of connectedness and understanding amongst the community.
Among the participants was Broke resident Carly Dawson who describes her experience for book, 'At one stage, I dozed off and woke up later to a lapping sound. For a minute, I thought I was in a boat because my brain wasn't working properly... went to one of my back rooms to look out the window onto the street, and the water was up around the house... and completely up to the top of the patio stairs. That's when I panicked. What do you do at that moment?'
Funding from the Hunter New England Primary Health Network has been used to collate stories and podcasts from the survivors.
The podcast episodes are being progressively published - see https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/beyond-the-deluge/
The stories have been compiled into a book that will officially be launched at the Starline Alpaca farm in Broke on Thursday, July 4 from 6:00pm.
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
