Latest news with #JulieBotfield
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
‘Too frightened to pick things up': NSW flood-affected residents return home to find snakes and spiders have moved in
Some New South Wales residents returning home after last month's record-breaking floods are finding mud isn't the only thing waiting to greet them. Thousands of mid-north coast residents left their homes in May after flooding inundated dwellings and washed away livestock. Some are only just returning weeks after the floods – and about 120 households remain in emergency accommodation, according to the NSW Reconstruction Authority. After evacuating their home on 16 May, Julie Botfield and her children returned to their Clybucca rental home on 2 June to find many unwanted house guests which had slithered their way on to the property after the area surrounding their home flooded. 'In total till today we had 39 snakes, all varieties, very large to babies. I had two snake catchers come to the property to relocate them, this also assisted with the cleanup as I was too frightened of picking things up or entering the shed,' Botfield told Guardian Australia on Wednesday. Her house was also covered with huge numbers of spiders. Dave Owens, the former NSW police deputy commissioner who has been appointed Hunter and mid-north coast recovery coordinator, said it's not uncommon for animals to take refuge in people's homes after floods – just like humans, the animals are looking for somewhere safe and dry. 'So when people return to their homes, it's not just flood waters and mud they have to contend with – in some cases snakes, spiders and other animals,' Owens said. 'If you find animals, particularly snakes or spiders, residents are urged to be careful and contact an expert to help safely remove them – the same goes for any cows or livestock they may find on their properties.' The owner and director of snake education company Reptile Solutions, Stuart Johnson, said many of the instances of snakes entering homes have occurred in lower-lying areas, such as around the Clybucca and surrounding parts of the Maclean. He said some animals had washed into people's homes during the floods. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'A lot of those animals naturally refuge in things like underneath vegetation, foliage, hollow logs and things, which is a lot of the stuff that gets picked up and dragged along with the flood and deposited so it gathers up along fences and inside of buildings.' He suggests mid-north coast residents who encounter snakes or spiders while cleaning up should avoid them – and call in professionals. 'The major cause for snake bites and spider bites is through direct contact, where people try to directly capture or harm the animal,' Johnson said. 'So be vigilant and seek the appropriate assistance through trained and qualified individuals to assist in safely handling and removing the animals.'
RNZ News
09-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Snakes, spiders and mould confront residents after NSW floods
By Emma Siossian , ABC News Flooded residents have returned home to find snakes and spiders in their homes. Photo: Supplied / ABC News Mud and mould are not the only issues facing those returning to their homes after major flooding on the New South Wales Mid North Coast. Clybucca resident Julie Botfield was evacuated by boat with two of her children and their dogs during the height of the flooding in late May. She said she was shocked by what she discovered at the rural property when she returned to inspect it a week and a half later. "The snakes and spiders were an issue in me getting back in there," Botfield said. "There were 30 snakes down in the shed alone … I wasn't expecting that many. It was really scary, my heart was racing the entire time, and it made the clean up so much harder as I didn't want to be bitten by a snake." Botfield, a single mother, was assisted by Brenden Kendall, who lives near Kempsey and helps people needing snakes relocated. "I saw a few baby snakes up and down the driveway just walking up to the property, some were still hiding in the shed," Kendall said. "Once we got up to the shed, we ended up with a total of 30 snakes caught. "There was a mixture of red-bellied black snakes, brown snakes … a whole mix of different ones … I've never seen that many like that." Botfield, who rents the property, said she also had it treated for pests as the walls were covered in spiders. "My house is a cream colour and when we evacuated it was brown on all sides, with the spiders covering the walls," she said. "I had a pest man come [after the flood] … he said it was the worst property he has ever treated." NSW Reconstruction Authority Recovery coordinator Dave Owens said it was not uncommon for animals to take refuge in uninhabited properties after floods. "The animals are looking for somewhere safe and obviously residents are vacated," he said. "So, when people go back in, it's not just the floodwater and mud on the ground, it's snakes, it's spiders, it's other creatures, so you need to be careful." Spiders covered the walls of Julie Botfield's home at Clybucca as the floodwater rose. Photo: Supplied / ABC News Botfield said the time it took before she was able to return and access the property meant that mould had also spread. "The house was sitting in the water for quite some time, so now the mould has gone through the house, so it's just a big clean-up effort," she said. "The storms and rain keep coming." Owens said mould was a significant issue after a flood, and airing out impacted homes as soon as possible was vital. "Open all doors and windows to let in fresh air and sunlight … reduce humidity by limiting humidifiers, indoor plants and unflued gas heaters," Owens said. "To clean mould off surfaces, use detergent or diluted vinegar, four parts vinegar to one part water. "For stubborn mould, you can use a diluted bleach solution but never mix vinegar and bleach." A household cleaning expert has also recommended oil of cloves for cleaning mould . North Coast Public Health Unit's environmental health officer David Basso said mould spores could cause health problems for people who were sensitive or allergic to them. "If you are cleaning mould, wear protective clothing, rubber gloves and a mask, and ensure that you are trying to get as much ventilation as possible through your home," he said. "The health effects from mould exposure can be a runny or blocked nose, irritation of the eyes and skin and difficulty breathing, particularly [in] people with asthma." He said removing mould would be more challenging during winter. "When we have adverse weather, it's difficult to maintain that proper airflow through your home," he said. Julie Botfield and two of her children evacuated their home on a friend's boat during the floods. Photo: Supplied / ABC News Owens said about 700 residential properties across the region were still deemed uninhabitable and the focus was on getting displaced families back home. "It could be as simple as they've had water over the floor, and we need to get a sparkie [electrician] in to check it's safe and then they can move back in," he said. "We have about 150 households in emergency accommodation. A lot of people have gone to family and friends, couch surfing is a term that's been used." Botfield is currently staying with family and said she was prepared for a long road ahead. "I've had Disaster Relief Australia out to help and they have been great … they even found another two snakes," she said. "I want to show my kids we are strong and resilient, we've got this." - ABC News
ABC News
08-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Snakes, spiders and mould confront residents after NSW Mid North Coast floods
Mud and mould are not the only issues facing those returning to their homes after major flooding on the New South Wales Mid North Coast. Clybucca resident Julie Botfield was evacuated by boat with two of her children and their dogs during the height of the flooding in late May. She said she was shocked by what she discovered at the rural property when she returned to inspect it a week and a half later. "The snakes and spiders were an issue in me getting back in there," Ms Botfield said. "There were 30 snakes down in the shed alone … I wasn't expecting that many. Ms Botfield, a single mother, was assisted by Brenden Kendall, who lives near Kempsey and helps people needing snakes relocated. "I saw a few baby snakes up and down the driveway just walking up to the property, some were still hiding in the shed," Mr Kendall said. "Once we got up to the shed, we ended up with a total of 30 snakes caught. Ms Botfield, who rents the property, said she also had it treated for pests as the walls were covered in spiders. "I had a pest man come [after the flood] … he said it was the worst property he has ever treated." NSW Reconstruction Authority Recovery coordinator Dave Owens said it was not uncommon for animals to take refuge in uninhabited properties after floods. "The animals are looking for somewhere safe and obviously residents are vacated," he said. "So, when people go back in, it's not just the floodwater and mud on the ground, it's snakes, it's spiders, it's other creatures, so you need to be careful." Ms Botfield said the time it took before she was able to return and access the property meant that mould had also spread. "The storms and rain keep coming." Mr Owens said mould was a significant issue after a flood, and airing out impacted homes as soon as possible was vital. "Open all doors and windows to let in fresh air and sunlight … reduce humidity by limiting humidifiers, indoor plants and unflued gas heaters," Mr Owens said. "To clean mould off surfaces, use detergent or diluted vinegar, four parts vinegar to one part water. "For stubborn mould, you can use a diluted bleach solution but never mix vinegar and bleach." A household cleaning expert has also recommended oil of cloves for cleaning mould. North Coast Public Health Unit's environmental health officer David Basso said mould spores could cause health problems for people who were sensitive or allergic to them. "The health effects from mould exposure can be a runny or blocked nose, irritation of the eyes and skin and difficulty breathing, particularly [in] people with asthma." He said removing mould would be more challenging during winter. "When we have adverse weather, it's difficult to maintain that proper airflow through your home," he said. Mr Owens said about 700 residential properties across the region were still deemed uninhabitable and the focus was on getting displaced families back home. "It could be as simple as they've had water over the floor, and we need to get a sparkie [electrician] in to check it's safe and then they can move back in," he said. "We have about 150 households in emergency accommodation. "A lot of people have gone to family and friends, couch surfing is a term that's been used." Ms Botfield is currently staying with family and said she was prepared for a long road ahead. "I've had Disaster Relief Australia out to help and they have been great … they even found another two snakes," she said. "I want to show my kids we are strong and resilient, we've got this."
RNZ News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Family rescued from floods near Kempsey in NSW horrified at what was in the water
By Emma Siossian , ABC Julie Botfield described the flooding at her property like having a "river in my front and backyard". Photo: ABC / Emma Siossian Floodwaters aren't the only dangers facing those being inundated this week on the NSW Mid North Coast. As rising water lapped the bottom storey of her Clybucca home, Julie Botfield was horrified to see what was coming with it. "There was spiders galore, all different varieties, lots of frogs, lots of snakes, so, yeah, quite scary," the single mother told the ABC. Julie Botfield and two of her children evacuate their home. Photo: Supplied / Julie Botfield Botfield, two of her children, aged 10 and 19, and their two dogs evacuated their home near Kempsey early on Friday morning, after watching water come closer during the night. "The water rose really quickly, to my surprise, I wasn't really expecting it to rise that much," she said. She woke up and checked her rented property at 2am on Friday and said water was not near her paddock. "By 4am it was definitely in my paddock and then it just continued to rise up and up, and up until we basically had a river in my front and backyard." It took just a few hours for floodwaters to inundate Julie Botfield's home. Photo: Supplied / Julie Botfield While she was safe on the second storey of her home, her shed had gone under. "I was devastated because I knew that all of my belongings, including my car were in the shed, so they're not going to be there any longer. "It's going to be a really big clean-up." Botfield had called the SES and triple-0 during the night, however, she had not been evacuated by the morning, so she called a friend who had a boat. "It was really hard to get everyone in the boat and the spiders were everywhere and the snakes and the frogs, and I didn't want to put the kids in the water to get into the boat," Botfield said. Once in the boat, she said she was amazed to see how much water had surrounded her home, which had turned from its usual yellow colour to black by the swarming spiders. Just down the road, Botfield's neighbour Holly Gaddes stayed put. The pair had kept in touch over recent days and Gaddes had urged Botfield to evacuate. "Pretty much all throughout the night we were texting each other, just checking the situation at her place, situation at my place, what we were thinking to do," Gaddes said. Having lived on her cattle farm since 2011, and even longer in the region, Gaddes said she felt prepared to stay, but she did pack some things in a tub just in case. Holly Gaddes has lived in the region for a long time and on her cattle farm since 2011. Photo: Supplied / Julie Botfield She said while floods do not surprise her after living so long in the area, the speed of this one was different to others. "The floods that we've had here before usually take a lot longer to get here, this happened a lot quicker," Gaddes said. "I mean, this time it's a shock because it's a high flood, but higher floods have happened before, so we were prepared, but I guess when it does happen, it is a bit of a shock and especially if it happens quickly." Despite the latest inundation, Gaddes said she and her husband have no intentions of leaving. "[My husband] grew up in the house across the road and his family's been farming this land for a very long time, so that's not going to be an option. "It's such a beautiful part of the world." - ABC
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Family rescued from floods near Kempsey horrified at what was in the water
Floodwaters aren't the only dangers facing those being inundated this week on the NSW Mid North Coast. As rising water lapped the bottom storey of her Clybucca home, Julie Botfield was horrified to see what was coming with it. "There was spiders galore, all different varieties, lots of frogs, lots of snakes, so, yeah, quite scary," the single mother told the ABC. Ms Botfield, two of her children, aged 10 and 19, and their two dogs evacuated their home near Kempsey early on Friday morning, after watching water come closer during the night. "The water rose really quickly, to my surprise, I wasn't really expecting it to rise that much," she said. She woke up and checked her rented property at 2am on Friday and said water was not near her paddock. "By 4am it was definitely in my paddock and then it just continued to rise up and up, and up until we basically had a river in my front and backyard." While she was safe on the second storey of her home, her shed had gone under. "I was devastated because I knew that all of my belongings, including my car were in the shed, so they're not going to be there any longer. "It's going to be a really big clean-up." Ms Botfield had called the SES and triple-0 during the night, however she had not been evacuated by the morning, so she called a friend who had a boat. "It was really hard to get everyone in the boat and the spiders were everywhere and the snakes and the frogs, and I didn't want to put the kids in the water to get into the boat," Ms Botfield said. Once in the boat, she said she was amazed to see how much water had surrounded her home, which had turned from it's usual yellow colour to black by the swarming spiders. Just down the road, Ms Botfield's neighbour Holly Gaddes stayed put. The pair had kept in touch over recent days and Ms Gaddes had urged Ms Botfield to evacuate. "Pretty much all throughout the night we were texting each other, just checking the situation at her place, situation at my place, what we were thinking to do," Ms Gaddes said. Having lived on her cattle farm since 2011, and even longer in the region, Ms Gaddes said she felt prepared to stay, but she did pack some things in a tub just in case. She said while floods do not surprise her after living so long in the area, the speed of this one was different to others. "I mean, this time it's a shock because it's a high flood, but higher floods have happened before, so we were prepared, but I guess when it does happen, it is a bit of a shock and especially if it happens quickly." Despite the latest inundation, Ms Gaddes said she and her husband have no intentions of leaving. "[My husband] grew up in the house across the road and his family's been farming this land for a very long time, so that's not going to be an option. "It's such a beautiful part of the world."
