Andrew Roberts is more worried about being eaten by a crocodile in his Townsville home than chest-high water surging through the ground floor.
He creeps down stairs and scans the murky water for crocs before he leaps on a table to refuel the generator powering his home.
But he and his wife Cass are staying put.
"My biggest concern is getting eaten," Mr Roberts told AAP.
"It's a little bit scary because when it floods in Townsville, the crocs get into the water."
But crocodiles aren't the only hazards lurking in floodwaters.
"Before you start playing in floodwaters you should always remember the distinct possibility you could be wading in your neighbour's faeces," Queensland Police tweeted.
"Yes. Their faeces."
While fear of crocodiles and losing everything to floods or looters is top of his mind right now, there's also anger building about the decision to open the gates at the swollen Ross River Dam.
Water releases began last week despite the flood risk to some low-lying properties.
The gates were fully opened on Sunday sending more torrents of water into the city, swamping roads, yards and homes.
"We were lambs to the slaughter," says Mr Roberts who lives in low-lying Hermit Park.
"Our homes have been sacrificed to save the rest of Townsville. It should never have been this bad. Why didn't they have releases earlier and give the water a chance to get away?
"Heads should roll over this."
Mr Roberts insists the water won't reach their second story and they will not leave their home of 14 years as they have food, water and a radio.
"It has been a hair-raising experience but ... I would rather be sitting here than in a shelter for the next week not knowing what the hell is going on with what we have here."
Neighbour Paul Shafer understood the decision to open the floodgates was necessary, but knows he is paying the price.
He watched the floodwaters rising under his home for days before he finally left on Sunday when he heard the dam floodgates would be fully opened.
"It was just getting too dicey," he said.
He used a kayak to paddle his wife, daughters and the family dog to safety, then he and a neighbour walked out through chest-high water pushing a dog on a boogie board.
Mr Shafter has lost two cars, a truck and a caravan in the flood along with the renovated lower level of his Queenslander.
Australian Associated Press
