In six hours the Coomera River went from a calm waterway to surging rapids that wiped out everything in its path, even tearing horses and cows from paddocks. Horses and cows struggled against the current — some scrambled to the safety of riverbanks but many others drowned.
The numbers of livestock lost, including horses, is still undetermined but they are expected to be extreme, with reports of up to 40 horses perishing at one stud alone and stables full of horses drowning as the incredibly fast rising water forced handlers to scramble through the rafters to the roof.