Cairns family-of-five lose everything days before Christmas after horror flood

With three kids aged between two and ten years old, the mum and dad now have to pick up the pieces and start from scratch.

A family have tragically lost everything they own after floods from the ex-cyclone Jasper destroyed their Holloways Beach home.

The Queensland family, who wishes to remain anonymous, were forced onto the roof after the wild winds and floods decimated the ground below, destroying their home, cars and a life's worth of memories. 

With three kids aged between two and ten years old, the mum and dad have to pick up the pieces and start from scratch.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

The Queensland family lost everything as a result of the devastating floods. Source: 7News

Daily watched water rapidly “coming toward them”

Speaking to 7News, family friend Amy-Lee described the “terrifying” sight of floodwater slowly getting closer to them, inching its way up the walls. 

In less than an hour, the house was filling with water. 

“They had 45 minutes from noticing the water coming towards the house to the time of flooding and racing the kids ... upstairs,” she recalled. 

The water kept rising, leaving the family-of-five no other option but to scale the roof and wait for the SES crews to arrive. 

Now the flood waters have started to recede, Queenslanders are returning to their homes and hoping for the best. 

RELATED: My parents’ home was totally destroyed by their tenants and agents did nothing

RELATED: Family clings to life in a tree for 4 hours to escape Eugowra flash flooding

The family watched the flood waters rising. Source: 7News

Family loses home, cars and possessions days before Christmas

When the family returned home, they realised the majority of their possessions including appliances and furniture were destroyed. 

“They’ve lost their home, family cars, all their belongings and Christmas gifts a week before Christmas,” said Amy-Lee in a GoFundMe she set up on the family’s behalf.

In another shattering blow, they’ve been told their recently-renovated home now needs to be gutted and restored. 

“These are two of the hardest-working people I have ever known,” she said. “Everyone works hard to get their first home, car ... and build a life for their kids. 

“But this couple, they have scraped together everything they have had with such humble strength to buy that home for their kids and to renovate it,” she told 7News. 

In the meantime, Amy-Lee has set up a donation drive to support the family while they get back on their feet. 

“We have successfully provided clothes for them and the kids, new Christmas presents, books and toys for all three kids, as well as non-perishable food,” she said. 

Amazingly, the family-of-five have generously given half of their donations to their neighbours and other families who are rebuilding their lives after the devastating floods. 

“Despite having gone through such loss, the entire community, not only in Holloways but across all of Cairns, has come together in such numbers and with such generosity that it makes me so proud to be a part of it,” Amy-Lee said.

Originally published as Cairns family-of-five lose everything days before Christmas after horror flood