Lisa Wilkinson Instagram – It’s just about impossible for me to put into words what I’ve seen on the ground here in Lismore this week. Lives and livelihoods destroyed, hearts broken, homes beyond repair, their entire contents – everything these beautiful families once held dear – now mud-soaked and strewn in metres-high piles on the footpath awaiting giant garbage trucks heading for the tip. Tables they once sat at, beds they once slept in, photos they once cherished, bikes, dolls, toys, fridges, TVs…every momento part of someone’s story, every broken tile a piece of someone’s home. I’ve found myself as we’ve walked these streets, imagining the robust lives that just two weeks ago were being lived here never knowing what was heading their way. These homes are now empty, most uninhabitable, their windows wide open hoping to extinguish the unmistakable gut-punching smell that floods leave behind. It’s the smell of death, rotting garbage, raw sewerage and mud. There are no dogs barking or birds tweeting, it’s just silent and that’s not what this area is. It’s normally so loud and colourful and now all you hear is the sound of gurneys and generators and helicopters. The devastation here is unimaginable, thousands upon thousands of people have been displaced, living in temporary accomodation, many living off the kindness of strangers. Those who are still here are raw, exhausted, and running on adrenaline, but the community spirit is incredible. That alone though won’t keep them going. Government response and assistance has been slow and in some cases non-existent, many are uninsured because of sky-high premiums, and tricky clauses…so they desperately need our help. This will take years to fix. So if you can spare anything at all, the following organisations are doing wonderful work not just in Lismore, but in ALL the affected flood zones of the last few weeks in NSW and QLD. Whatever you can spare, thank u. And please know it WILL make a difference🙏💔 @givit_aus @lifelineaustralia @salvosau @aussiehelpinghands @redcrossau Let’s do this!!! 🇦🇺 #flood #floods #lismore St Carthage’s Cathedral 📸 by Kirran Shah.