The Project hosts fought back tears as the tragedies suffered by thousands in historic Australian floods were laid bare in a heart-breaking segment.

After watching Brisbane’s battlers describe their losses – including one man who broke down on camera at the destruction of his sister’s ashes – program host Rachel Corbett couldn’t hide her tears.

‘It’s just so hard to watch isn’t it? Just such a terrible thing people are going through right now,’ Corbett said, tugging at her shirt cuff as she choked up.

The Project hosts fought back their emotions as the human tragedies suffered by thousands in historic Australian floods were laid bare in a heart-breaking segment (pictured, The Project co-host Rachel Corbett)

The Project hosts fought back their emotions as the human tragedies suffered by thousands in historic Australian floods were laid bare in a heart-breaking segment (pictured, The Project co-host Rachel Corbett)

Rocklea single mum Jodie Lyons (pictured), who had helped her own neighbours escape rising waters, including an elderly lady, confessed there would be no replacing her ruined possessions

Rocklea single mum Jodie Lyons (pictured), who had helped her own neighbours escape rising waters, including an elderly lady, confessed there would be no replacing her ruined possessions

Rocklea single mum Jodie Lyons (pictured), who had helped her own neighbours escape rising waters, including an elderly lady, confessed there would be no replacing her ruined possessions

Her neighbour Todd Ballard (pictured) admitted he was not able to face opening his shipping container because it was likely his sister's ashes, which were inside, had been destroyed by floodwaters

Her neighbour Todd Ballard (pictured) admitted he was not able to face opening his shipping container because it was likely his sister's ashes, which were inside, had been destroyed by floodwaters

Her neighbour Todd Ballard (pictured) admitted he was not able to face opening his shipping container because it was likely his sister’s ashes, which were inside, had been destroyed by floodwaters

Tens of thousands of people in Brisbane were evacuated, many living near the Brisbane river which flooded dozens of adjacent suburbs.

The clean-up bill is expected to reach over $1billion, while 80,000 people have pleaded for government support because of their losses in floodwaters. 

‘We can get lost’ in the numbers,’ said host Waleed Aly. ‘It’s not [just] homes, it’s lives and it’s everything that has made your life what it is up to that point.’

Tens of thousands of Brisbane residents were evacuated as the floods, which have so far claimed a national death toll of 10, devastated south east Queensland and north-eastern NSW

Tens of thousands of Brisbane residents were evacuated as the floods, which have so far claimed a national death toll of 10, devastated south east Queensland and north-eastern NSW

Tens of thousands of Brisbane residents were evacuated as the floods, which have so far claimed a national death toll of 10, devastated south east Queensland and north-eastern NSW

So far 13 people have lost their lives in the floods that have devastated south-east Queensland and north-east NSW – with Lismore one of the worst hit towns. 

‘That story with the ashes, that brings it home harder than anything,’ Aly said.

Rocklea resident Todd Ballard wept as he admitted he couldn’t face opening the shipping container on his property to check on his sister’s ashes because the unit had been swamped by floodwaters.

‘I don’t wanna open the door [to it] mate,’ he said, fearing the state of family ‘heirlooms… handed down through generations’.

‘My sister, she’s in the container which I haven’t got to yet… but I’ll work on that.’

Rocklea single mum Jodie Lyons, who had helped her own neighbours escape rising waters, including an elderly lady, confessed there would be no replacing her ruined possessions.

‘I don’t have $7,000 for contents insurance,’ she shrugged. ‘I’m a single mum, there’s a reason I live in Rocklea, because the rent’s cheap.

Roving reporter Hamish Macdonald could barely contain his frustration at police having to remind people not to drive through floodwaters.

Roving reporter Hamish Macdonald could barely contain his frustration at police having to remind people not to drive through floodwaters.

Roving reporter Hamish Macdonald could barely contain his frustration at police having to remind people not to drive through floodwaters.

Project hosts Waleed Aly and Carrie Bickmore spoke about the human tragedy of the Queensland floods which was as much about the irreplaceable losses as the houses lost

Project hosts Waleed Aly and Carrie Bickmore spoke about the human tragedy of the Queensland floods which was as much about the irreplaceable losses as the houses lost

Project hosts Waleed Aly and Carrie Bickmore spoke about the human tragedy of the Queensland floods which was as much about the irreplaceable losses as the houses lost

‘So many people on this street have lost everything and so many of us don’t have insurance.’

Two women were also shown hugging, one crying uncontrollably.

The Project host Carrie Bickmore looked stunned at the human stories too, adding that she had heard one man who had dedicated the last 11 years of his life to cleaning up debris from the 2011 floods was having to start all over again.

‘Now [he’s] back doing it again, it took that long to recover the river from the debris.’ 

In a cross to western Sydney, where the rain bomb that smashed south-eastern Queensland and north-east NSW has moved, roving reporter Hamish Macdonald could barely contain his frustration at police having to remind people not to drive through floodwaters.

‘The last thing the authorities need right now is a dickhead turning his car over in low lying floodwaters,’ he said.

That was partly because it takes valuable resources away from conducting rescues elsewhere, he said. 

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