Mooroopna resident says situation ‘just bizarre’ as floodwaters hit home

The scene: The Woods’ home, currently resembling a lake in Alexander St, Mooroopna. Picture: James Woods

Mooroopna resident James Woods and his family have woken to their 1920s family home on Alexander St, Mooroopna inundated with water.

Mr Woods has described the situation as a bizarre feeling.

"It is a bizarre feeling because right now, it is a beautiful day, and all I can see is water around my place and the street," Mr Woods said.

"We have lost the front of the house. We checked every two hours while walking down to the river with my son and saw it rising and waiting for the worst.

"Our kids have gone through a lot in the last couple of years, from bushfires to COVID and now floods. It is a strange situation that we have gone through".

When the News spoke with him on Sunday morning, he said he expected his home to go under in the next two hours.

Mr Woods said he had not seen anything like this before, and coming from the city and being a lover of water, that it was a bizarre feeling.

On the ground: A cyclist riding through the water on Echuca Rd as Mr Woods urges people to stop sightseeing. Picture: James Woods

"I love the water, and coming from the city, it is just a weird feeling seeing the water come and take everything we have. It is just a strange feeling," he said.

Mr Woods said that before the floods hit Mooroopna on Saturday, there was a great sense of community and help, and people expected the floods to hit the town badly.

"There was a great sense of community from all the SES and volunteers filling up sandbags, and I think people expected the floods to hit and were prepared as best as they could have been," he said.

Mr Woods has urged all to stop sightseeing around the town because an inch of water from the cars driving can make a difference if water goes into someone's house.

"Can people stop sightseeing and driving around in their four-wheel-drives, there are houses near us hanging by a thread, and an inch of water can make a difference from the waves. Please stop," he said.

The backyard: Mr Woods’ backyard currently flooded and Mr Woods expects his house to go under in the coming hours. Picture: James Woods

He believes people, including his family, will not change residency due to the flooding.

"I don't think people will relocate, I think many people will stay where they are, including ourselves, and I think this is a speed bump in many people's lives," he said.

Water everywhere: James Woods’ daughter Bella standing outside the flooded Mooroopna CFA building on Echuca Rd. Picture: James Woods