Living and working on flood zone: How two Kempsey Shire locals survived decades of disasters and why they have no plans to leave

Long-term Kempsey Shire resident Vivian Kyle says she’d have to pay $30,000 a year to insure her home against floods – so she goes without. 

The Smithtown local and her fellow business owner, Faye Eakin, both run shops in a Kempsey arcade that also regularly floods, and last filled up with water in May 2025.

For many residents across Kempsey Shire, the prospect of rising water is just another one of life’s challenges.

Decades of disaster: Kyle and Eakin live in Smithtown and Belmore River respectively – two of the Shire’s most notorious floodzones. They have both lived and worked through decades of disasters without insurance coverage of their homes and businesses. The pair told the Mid North Coaster they know more floods will come as extreme weather events increase in frequency and intensity, but leaving is not an option.

A lifetime of rivers rising: 66-year-old Kyle has lived in Smithtown her entire life. She says the nearby Macleay River is “renowned” for flooding.

• “I think these last 10 to 20 years have been the most floods we've ever had,” Kyle told the Mid North Coaster. “They're getting more often.”

According to the NSW Government's natural disaster declarations, there has been flooding on the Mid North Coast for the last six consecutive years. 

The Australian Government’s first National Climate Risk Assessment warns that concurrent events and reduced time between severe events will become more common as a result of human-induced climate change.

Part of the job: This month, Kyle’s business “Just Lingerie” is celebrating 31 years of operation on one of the town’s main streets, two blocks back from the Macleay River.

The 2001 and 2025 floods are two major events that stand out to Kyle, who says preparation is key.

When faced with impending floods, the arcade’s businesses built a sandbag at the back and front door and moved stock to higher ground.

• “We can't work, we can't operate, and we have to get all our stock up [off the floor],” Kyle said. “And the whole town is trying to look after their own stuff anyway, so business just stops completely.”

At the other end of the arcade is K&E Boutique, which Eakin has owned for 24 years. 

While she didn’t own the shop during the major floods in 2001, she was working at the boutique at the time. Eakin also owns the workwear shop next door and has done so for 14 years. During her time at the helm, the recent May floods was the biggest.

@midnorthcoaster

Macleay River breaks bank at Kempsey, CBD remains closed. #australia #midnorthcoast #kempsey #flood

A difficult decision: As the Macleay and Belmore Rivers rise during heavy rainfall, residents are forced to make the difficult decision of choosing to stay and protect the business or leave to protect the home.

In May, Eakin decided to go home and was stuck for four days not knowing if the business had flooded.

Both owners say they know more floods will come, but refuse to pack up.

• “I think if I've survived this many now, I should be right. I suppose we think more about it when we're going through it, and then when things settle down, you sort of put that aside,” Kyle said. 

Eakin continues operating because it’s what she knows – and what she’s always done.

• “Probably, if I was new to the area and I had two floods in a short period of time, I'd say, ‘I'm getting out of this’.”

Why stay?: Despite living through numerous floods, noticing the increase in the disasters, and knowing more are inevitable, Kyle and Eakin say they stay for the beauty, community and the climate.

• “It's a lovely place. It's got just about everything you'd want,” Eakin said. “It's a friendly place… I have no desire to live anywhere else.”

Kyle agrees the area is too good to give up. It’s “the people and the beautiful place” that keep her here.

• “I could never see myself living anywhere else. Such a beautiful place to live. We've been to a lot of places all around Australia and I just think the beaches here are just the best,” Kyle said. “I think we've got the best of both worlds living here.”