“Have a good day,” Joe Case shouted out to us from behind the corrugated iron fence that protects his family home.
It’s hard to believe that someone like Joe can remain positive enough to wish someone well as the water closes in around him.
Communicating with Joe from the Moama levee in Chanter St, we discovered he was helping to protect his family home, which his brother Dennis Case lives in.
Dennis, who arrived later, has lived in the house since he was eight years old.
“It was my mother’s house and my grandmother’s house before that,” he said.
“Joe has a bad back. He really shouldn’t be helping, but that’s what family does.”
Dennis revealed he was also struggling with his own health concerns. He has been diagnosed with dementia and arthritis.
A true inspiration, Dennis said he will not allow his health conditions to get in the way of protecting his home.
Remarkably, the water has not yet entered the house and the brothers have not yet lost their spirit.
A houseboat is moored right behind their house.
Sandbags surround the perimeter of the house, while small pipes along the fence line attempt to pump the water from inside the fence.
Despite their efforts to keep the water out, water is being dumped on to their side of the levee just one house away.
Dennis said a friend who had initially loaned him a pump recently asked for it back.
“I just broke down crying when they asked for it back,” he said.
“Thankfully someone else came to the rescue and provided us with another.”
Dennis remembers the floods in 1993 surrounding his house, much like they are today.
Back then they were able to prevent the water from entering the house and they are holding on to the hope that this time around will be the same.
Community supports community
A beauty parlour in Meninya St, Moama, has shown its support for the community by displaying a message of hope in its shopfront window.
While Inhale and Exhale is closed until further notice, its message is visible for all to see.
“We’ve got this Echuca-Moama. Stay safe. Stay strong.”
And stay strong, we will.
The Murray River peaked at Moama yesterday at 94.94m, but is predicted to remain above major flood levels for some time.
"It is steady and we'll just keep watching that as it slowly decides to fall," Bureau of Meteorology hazard preparedness and response manager Steven Bernasconi said.