Mullumbimby flooding: Residents ‘scaling cliffs’ to rescue pregnant women, babies

Mullumbimby residents have described terrifying landslides, houses and roads being destroyed as they scramble to rescue trapped locals with no authorities in sight. ‘It was like a bomb had gone off in the hills’. See flood crisis latest

Mullumbimby resident Leanne Jenkins said “it was like a bomb had gone off in the hills” while describing the landslides.

Entrances into Mullumbimby from Main Arm have been destroyed by landslides.

“Roads no longer exist, houses have gone,” Mrs Jenkins said.

Cars are unable to enter the town due to landslide damage, leaving many stranded. “People are injured, there is a lady in labour,” she said.

“There’s no police here, no help, it’s just volunteers.”

Mullumbimby flooding and landslides have left a picture of devastation. Picture: Zali Spinner

Related: ‘World turned upside down’: Inside the evacuation centre

Jacqui from The Broad Place said ordinary people are attempting to save lives.

“Regular people are trying to scale cliffs to rescue pregnant people, babies and families. We need the army, we need police, we need services,” she said.

People are unaccounted for and there are fears for elderly people.

“There's still no phone reception and no one knows the full depth of what's going on, its apocalyptic,” Jacqui said.

“It’s unbelievably devastating. There are elderly that haven't been visited yet, they have been stuck in their rooms for four days in ankle deep water,” she said.

“There are people sobbing in the streets, there are people giving birth, landslides, people are stuck.”

Melita Flynn said her and her daughter trekked through Mullumbimby Creek where her son and his father live.

“They hadn’t had a drink since Sunday. No water, no power,” Mrs Flynn said.

She said all the bridges were either washed away or extremely damaged.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. It was like a war zone,” she said.

They walked through creeks at waist high and fast flowing waters holding onto a rope.

Mrs Flynn is recovering from cancer and her daughter is 16 weeks pregnant.

Related: Family, baby and seven puppies in incredible ravine rescue

The kinds of creeks Mullumbimby resident Melita Flynn walked through with her pregnant daughter. Picture: Zali Spinner

Locals were meeting at 9.30 on Friday morning at Wilson’s Creek Hall to send teams up to Huonbrook, Wilson's Creek, Wanganui.

Residents have been urged to “please come and aid”.

The roads remain impassable for traffic and will therefore be “an on foot expedition”.

“This devastation is incomprehensible, never in so many years of living in the valley have I witnessed this area in such a state,” Jenkins said.

“The Main arm area is screaming for help. Houses have washed down the hill,” resident John Condie said.

Call triple-0 if you are in an emergency.

Originally published as Mullumbimby flooding: Residents ‘scaling cliffs’ to rescue pregnant women, babies