Hi, my names Libby. This is my story on the Manning River floods.

It hasn't stopped raining since Christmas. Sure, we've had a couple of odd days of sunshine - gave me time to mow the lawns. But it hasn't stopped raining.

I live on the banks of the Manning River on Oxley Island. My house is only a small stone's throw away to the water's edge. It's my little piece of paradise. I absolutely love it here.

It started from Thursday arvo (March 18) to Friday 9am - I registered 134mm of rain. It absolutely bucketed down all night; the sound was deafening on my tin roof.

Friday I woke up to a deluge of rain, my pool was overflowing, there was an inch of water over the whole yard. There was no soaking in now.

There is an area along my driveway I call the swamp, it's the lowest part of the road and has mangroves either side. Snakes are often seen here and it's where lots of ducks love to live. It was already a couple of feet under water with a strong flowing current.

Bugger, I was stuck! I could not get my car, my little Astra, out now. I was getting very worried about the possibility of flooding. I parked her up on the highest spot in my yard. Ha ha - there is no high spot.

The whole of Friday (March 19) was taken up with packing smaller items into storage tubs, lifting up as much larger gear as I could. I was by myself the whole time so was unable to lift heavier/larger gear. Every so often I'd walk out to the jetty and check on the water level which was slowly rising. It was still pouring.

I walked around and around the house and yard trying to put items higher, moving things around, bringing stuff inside. My anxiety about flooding was drastically increasing now. I was looking after my daughter's cat Meeko, he knew something was up, he kept meowing and cutting me off whenever I walked around him. I readied his cat carry cage.

I unplugged all the power cords to fans, TVs, wifi, and the like and lifted them higher or put them on top of the beds. But there was strange random acts I did, like unplugging and lifting the fans up, but leaving the cords, power boards on the floor. In the kitchen I lifted up the two lower drawers on one side of the bench but didn't do the other side. I think a little panic or stress may have started - I had no help, I was alone, I was getting a little scared.

As evening approached I had done as much as I could. I thought I'd done good. Last look before dark. The river was well over the bank now and had covered the beautiful grassed area above it. I estimated the water had about a metre in height and 15 metres in distance to reach my front door.

I was so glad to see the sun start to come up on Saturday morning, but still laying in bed I remember thinking... why is my fan off? My heart sank when I saw the water was lapping at the edge of my veranda, I was absolutely horrified. The river must have covered my water tank pump and thrown the power switch. But I still had lights.

I jumped up and ran around in a panic looking at everything and taking a few photos. There was nothing I could do except hope I'd done enough yesterday.

After I'd settled my emotions down I thought the first action to take was call the SES and let them know I'm here and what is happening. I felt a little better - help should be on its way soon. It was still pouring.

The water was now encroaching onto the veranda. It was from then until the water was actually inside my house that time was lost. It was like a tsunami - the water rose so quickly so high in what felt like moments, but was maybe half an hour. It was strange.

"Well Lib your certainly in the middle of the flood now. Now what am I supposed to do?" I thought. How the hell did I allow myself to get in this position?

I had actually cleared off a bench in front of the front window, which became my little sanctuary seat for the next eight hours. Three hours came and went it was now 10am with no sign of the SES. The water was now about eight inches throughout the house.

Every so often I'd leave my little bench, jump down into the freezing water and wander around the whole house checking on everything. All inside was okay so far. I could see the water slowly coming up around my little Astra. I was sad, I had owned her for 16 years, I was also mad I couldn't have gotten it out. It's the only car I own.

It was still pouring. The time passed, the water continued to rise. Meeko had found himself a little spot on top of the back of the lounge. He'd sit there for a while then leap across to my bench, give me the once over, then leap back across. He was okay.

My neighbour Katrina texted me about 12:30 to check if I had got out. I explained my situation to her and said I was waiting for the SES. She said that it could be possible for them to rescue me shortly and to keep her informed.

About 2pm the water outside really took on a menacing flow. About a metre deep, it turned into a fast flowing torrent which came up and circled around the house. It was frightening to watch.

The river had risen a lot more. Now all my gear from the carport and sheds came floating past. It didn't matter how well or high I'd tried to store them, it all had no chance. There was so much I had boxed ready for garage sales now lost. So much I was keeping also now lost. All of it gone!

Inside my house water had risen to just below my knees. Everything I thought I had packed up well was now coming undone. My stack of tubs had lifted, collapsed and were now floating around my lounge room. Some lids had come off and tubs had filled with water. There was a current inside my house from the hallway and my tubs were trying to escape. In every room I had packed up tubs. In every room tubs were falling. Every tub was making a float for it.

I had tried so hard, I thought it was a good idea. Ha ha, what a big fail Lib. It did take my mind off things though, chasing my tubs around the house. I eventually just let them bob around the lounge room. There was nothing I could do.

Watching from inside my house as the water rose, my poor little Astra's lights came on. Later they would start to flash, then later there was nothing. My little car was kaput.

Sitting on my bench watching the river, I was amazed and saddened at the amount of items that floated by, hundreds of hay bails, river buoys, dead cows, drums, a dingy, things I couldn't recognise. Huge logs, full trees, I have never seen the river flow so fast - it was truly rocketing past. And it was still pouring.

For eight hours I sat (on and off) on my little bench. It gives you time to gain a certain perspective on life, for me it was in knowing I have never felt this alone before. It was okay, it was just a realisation "It's just me." I don't know what that means but I did gain a lot of inner strength from it. "I will get through this."

It was about 4pm when panic hit me in the realisation it would be dark soon, I did not want to stay in my house overnight! I was still waiting for the SES. I know they must have been inundated with calls for help. I decided I would text Katrina back first, asking if there was any chance of a rescue from them? She said they had a friend with a boat and were trying to organise something, but give SES a call back just in case. That way we covered all options. Okay, whew there was a plan.

Being so isolated on the riverbank I could not see what was happening anywhere else around me. I had the notion the dairy was on higher ground and was okay. It was not until later I found out they were flooding also. They were fighting the elements on a larger scale, trying to save hundreds of their dairy cows, all the baby calves, all their equipment. The dairy had a couple of feet of water throughout it. It was still pouring with rain and here I am asking them for help amidst all their own chaos.

My neighbours are the best. I was staring out the front window looking at all my gear which was caught up by a palm fond and creating a dam of sorts. I was naming all the gear I could recognise, trying to take my mind off the waiting, when I heard a voice shouting "Hello.... are you okay?" Oh my lord! I spun around so fast, jumping off my bench and waded towards the back door.

There was a boat, it had pulled up right at my back veranda! Never have I been so happy to see a stranger before.

"Hi, no I'm not okay, I'm stuck here, please help me."

It wasn't the SES, it was Bruce and his beautiful family and the dog. It was Katrina's friends and neighbours. They had come to rescue me.

I grabbed Meeko and put him in his cage before he got spooked. I had a warm soft blanket in there for him. I had packed a couple of small backpacks ready to go. Bruce was on the ball making sure I had my ID, my medications, and my cat food. He grabbed an empty tub and put my gear in it to keep everything dry. He told me to grab a wet weather jacket. Fortunately for me my daughter, Rebel, had just given me a nurophene one as a present.

I loaded the cat and my gear onto the boat. Bruce waded around my house checking on everything then went outside and flicked my mains power off. Into the boat we got. But I couldn't lift my legs - they were like lead weights I just could not lift them, it was a very scary feeling. I grabbed a chair, climbed up on it then over the veranda railing and into the boat. I still don't know what that was about.

Bruce turned the boat around and we headed out into the river. When I looked back to the house I was absolutely stunned at how high the river was outside. The top of the boat shed was only just visible, the river was raging. I thought I was very lucky to get out. I put Meeko's cage onto the floor of the boat and covered it with one of the tubs, he was safe. I was safe. It was still pouring.

The boat ride took only a few minutes but it felt like forever. I was in turmoil, should I have stayed and looked after my house? I know it was a silly thought.

We pulled up on a bank with a little green patch of grass surrounding a beautiful little house. It was another funny thought racing through my mind.... "I've just been rescued and now I'm left here, only to be rescued again?" But I was safe.

Katrina and James Neil were so kind, so generous and compassionate, I appreciate everything they and their two beautiful daughters did for me and am very grateful. Bruce and his family were amazing, they continued to circle the island helping everyone who needed it. I will never forget how they rescued me, how I felt when I saw them. Thank you so much.

I was inside with a hot cuppa in hand when the SES phoned me. I explained I had just been rescued and thanked them, they were on their way. There were many other rescues to take my place. Thank you SES.

Sunday morning, I'm outside checking on the river height. It's going down. I hear voices and a boat from behind the trees. Bruce appears, he is gently towing a horse behind him searching for a bank to pull the horse up on to. The poor little bugger looked exhausted and did not have the strength to climb out. It took about six people to pull him up.

While they left to get fresh water, hay and a blanket for him, I uploaded the little video in hopes to find his owner. Meanwhile a vet was called to check him over. I'm very, very sad to say he did not make it.

It is still raining. The next two days were a bit of a blur waiting for the river and back paddocks to go down.

On Tuesday I headed home for a look. I managed to wade through about five paddocks, through fences, under fences, came face to face with a big bull, dodged all the cow paddies, got zapped by the electric fences twice, crawled under a barbed wire fence, got absolutely soaked and 40 minutes later made it to the long driveway of my house. Whew.

Oh my lord, the clean up begins..... and it's still raining!