THE Catholic community in Mackay, on the Whitsunday Coast of Queensland, has rallied together to help clean up the city after floods on February 15 caused damage estimated at tens of millions of dollars.
After being pounded with 624mm of rain in 10 hours, Mackay was quickly declared a disaster zone, where schools, churches and parishioners’ homes were hit hard.
Rockhampton Catholic Education director Leesa Jeffcoat said six Catholic schools had minor damage while two in the north of the city were forced to close on Monday and Tuesday.
Ms Jeffcoat said Emmanuel Primary School had water damage in 29 of its 31 classrooms and Holy Spirit College would need to replace floor coverings, walls, fittings, furniture and resources.
“This disaster has had a very, very significant impact on the whole Mackay community,” she said.
“We have a good number of staff who have lost everything and families who have been affected, but there has been tremendous support in the area from both the general community and the SES services.
Ms Jeffcoat also said neighbouring Catholic schools had offered to share their before and after-school care facilities with families from Emmanuel Primary and Holy Spirit while the schools were shut down.
But, despite the devastation, Mackay North and Northern Beaches parish priest Fr Don White said Sunday Masses went ahead where possible, and had surprisingly large congregations.
The monsoonal downpour that caused the flooding was the worst the city had seen in 90 years.
