Sydney woman Cara Severino was living out a dream holiday, hiking the multi-day Langtang Valley Trek in Nepal when the flooding hit.
Flash flooding, triggered by a glacier collapse in the Himalayas near the Nepal-China border on Wednesday, swept through the area and engulfed entire villages.
As of Monday, around 800 deaths have been reported and at least 3,000 people remain unaccounted for, including 43 Australians.
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Cara's parents Debbie and Frank Severino said that, unbeknownst to them at the time, their daughter became stranded at Kyanjin Gompa, a high-mountain village and Buddhist monastery that wasn't in the direct path of the floodwaters.
With no phone reception and a flat battery, the 26-year-old had no way of contacting her loved ones.
For two days, her family waited for news. On Friday, it came.
Cara had made contact. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed Australian consular officials had safely located her and were transporting her to a safe condition.
"This is a rare piece of positive news amid a disaster that has brought immense loss and uncertainty," Senator Wong said.
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Now, her family have shared the first moment they heard her voice.
"Seeing Cara's name appear on my message bank, hearing her voice and now seeing her photo and speaking with her has been the most miraculous gift," her parents Debbie and Frank Severino said in a statement on Sunday, per Channel Seven.
"We are beyond relieved and so elated to have Cara safe and well and we can't wait to hold her in our loving arms."
They called her return a "miracle".
"We are beyond relieved and so elated to have Cara safe and well and we can't wait to hold her in our loving arms," they said.
Cara, who remains the only Australian to have been located, said she made it out safely thanks to the "amazing people" she'd been with when the flooding began.
"Grateful for the crew we formed on that first day when we entered the national park on the tractor: Sudha, Lucas, Samir and Saugat. Thanks to them I got out safely," she said.
"My heart goes out to all the Nepalese hikers who lost their life and towns. We passed a guy hiking up to Thulu Safru who lost his whole family. So devastating and undeserving.
"I feel for the families of those still missing, I know how much my family and friends went through."
Debbie and Frank also thanked everyone who helped keep their daughter safe and said their joy was tempered by thoughts of the families still waiting.
"We are incredibly thankful to the Australian Consular Response teams for locating her and bringing her to safety and for the care they are giving her and all the amazing work they are doing to locate others," they said.
"We are so grateful to her Nepalese hiking partners who saw her through a harrowing several days of hiking in very difficult terrain, so thankful that they have all made it to safety.
"The scale of this tragedy is staggering and amidst our personal joy we continue to stand in prayer with the many families here in Australia, in Nepal and around the world who have lost loved ones or are still waiting to hear from them, we know that the waiting is horrendous."
They urged the community to turn its attention to recovery efforts.
"We would encourage those who are able to donate to the relief effort, to do so via the Emergency Action Alliance webpage, as we stand in solidarity with the Nepalese community," Debbie and Frank said.
Recovery efforts continue.
While Cara's story is a glimmer of hope, countless other families are still waiting for news.
Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed on Monday the number of Australians unaccounted for in the disaster had risen to 43 overnight.
"Our embassy staff in Kathmandu are working around the clock, and we've actually sent an additional 12 personnel to Kathmandu to assist our ambassador yesterday," Thistlethwaite told ABC's Radio National.
"We remain hopeful of rescuing and returning them safely."
He said while the Chinese government had refused an offer for assistance from Australia, the Nepalese government had requested additional support, which includes an additional $3 million, taking the total support package to $8 million.
Most of that support is in the form of hygiene kits and solar lights to be delivered by the defence force later in the week.
Australians have also raised millions of dollars to assist survivors, many of whom remain in temporary shelters amid mud and chaos.
The survivors remain in desperate need of basic amenities like clean drinking water and medical supplies.
How you can help those affected by the Nepal floods.
With entire communities devastated by the floods, charities say critical aid is needed.
Wong said the extraordinary scale of the disaster, conditions on the ground and the remoteness of the affected region meant there were "immense challenges" ahead for the rescue and recovery efforts.
"With roads and bridges destroyed, many communities remain isolated and difficult to reach, underscoring the need for rapid humanitarian assistance," she said.
The Emergency Action Alliance has launched the Nepal Flood Disaster Appeal, bringing together 15 leading aid organisations in Australia to support affected communities.
The alliance said donations will provide urgent assistance to families affected by the disaster by providing emergency shelter, clean water, food, medical assistance and other life-saving support.
You can support those affected by donating here.
— With AAP
Feature image: Facebook.
Ailish Delaney
Acting Morning Editor
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