Brisbane floods clean-up: Teen spirit on display

Brisbane’s young people have done their communities proud, pitching in to help with the heavy lifting of the flood clean-up.

Brisbane residents whose homes have been ravaged by floodwaters have found a silver lining in groups of teenagers who have turned out to help with the heavy lifting.

Alex Wu, of Fairfield in the city’s inner south, had tears in her eyes on Thursday when eight young strangers showed up at her door to tackle the muddy mess.

She thought a civic-minded neighbour might have put a call out on social media after realising the Stimpson St woman was facing the fallout alone.

“I had no idea they were coming and I’m so grateful,” Ms Wu said.

“They’re literally giving me a new life after the flooding because there’s no way I could this all alone.”

Furniture, buckets, beds and appliances lined her kerb on Thursday as the teenagers began to scrub Ms Wu’s walls.

Stella Moulis, who lives in the neighbourhood, was unable to go to school because of the floods and heard through friends that Ms Wu was gutting her home on her own.

“I saw there was huge pile of rubbish outside her home and we had just finished cleaning up my house so I wanted to help someone else,” Ms Moulis said.

“I felt bad for what everyone is going through.”

Alex Wu was helped by Stella Moulis and a crew of young people. Picture: Adam Head

Han Huynh said she was overwhelmed by the devastation she faced when she turned up to her Fairfield property alone on Wednesday.

Floodwaters had reached the second floor of her Victoria St house at the weekend, with the ceiling of the first floor caving in.

A pair of young strangers knocked at her door on Thursday offering to help wherever she needed.

“It was so heartwarming,” Ms Huynh said.

“It has been so hard, just heartbreaking.

“I didn’t know where to start.”

Kate Stewart had answered a call for help online.

She said she lived in the area and luckily wasn’t impacted by the flood.

“Then you come down here and just see people have lost absolutely everything, especially oldies who already went through the 2011 floods or have single story homes,” Ms Stewart.

“It’s disrupted so many lives and the community has to work together or nothing will get done.

“It would cost thousands for every resident along here to pay someone to professionally clean up.”

Ms Stewart said it felt good walking the streets and seeing so many teenagers offering their energy.

Residents of Fairfield continue the clean-up after floodwaters ravaged their homes and streets. Picture: Adam Head

Council workers clean up on the streets of Fairfield. Picture: Adam Head