An Australian couple spent five terrifying hours trapped inside the car with their two young children not knowing whether they were going to survive the wrath of Cyclone Pam which tore apart the island of Vanuatu. Beth and Kris Russet moved to the island in 2009 and spent 18 months building a cyclone-proof house before moving into the beautiful home just four months ago in November with their children Charlotte, 3, and Henry,14 months, and also Beth's mother. But nothing could have prepared the couple for the hell they endured as each room in their brand new home began to rapidly fill up with water after the ceiling was ripped off leaving the petrified family exposed to the ferocious and deadly elements of the worst cyclone to have hit the Pacific region in living memory. Beth Russet - left with Henry, and Kris Russet - right with Charlotte, 3, spent five terrifying hours in their car as Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu . The polished new deck before it got ripped apart - pictured are the two German Shepherds who survived the cyclone on back of the ute . The entire roof of the decking blew off during the cyclone and exposed plywood was flying through the house . The brand new open kitchen and dining room where the family used to spend a lot of their time . The ceiling in the kitchen was ripped off and rain started coming in sideways along with a ferocious wind tunnel . The night began like any other for the Russet's on March 13, they had settled in to watch a movie with a glass of wine in hand after putting the kids to bed. However, within two hours the pair were frantically moving their children and Beth's mother from one room to another as their family home began to resemble an indoor swimming pool. 'Our walls started to rain - it was coming in too hard and too fast,' Beth said. 'I had to put Henry in the pram because I couldn't carry him while we kept having to move them from one room to the next.' 'We were trying to stay calm for the kids but the roar of the wind was so amazing that we had to keep yelling at each other over the noise. 'We were tying to keep our happy faces on so the kids would be fine.' But this was no easy feast as the entire roof from the large decking outside had torn off causing exposed plywood to come flying into the open living area. 'All of the doors stayed shut but as soon as the roof came off it was as if we had no walls - then the kitchen fan flew off and rain started coming in sideways and a wind tunnel began,' she said. 'We couldn't get from one side of the house to the other without help and holding hands because it was flood waters and the wind was just so strong.' Three-year -old Charlotte's room is completely trashed after the epic storm . The ceiling was blasted open with parts falling onto the ground in 14 month old Henry's nursery . Probably the scariest of many hairy moments throughout the night was when Beth's mum and Kris had a ceiling collapse from above them in the master bedroom just as Beth had moved the children into her son's nursery. 'I turned around to get my mum from the bedroom when the ceiling came in on her and the ceiling fan missed her head by inches,' Beth said. 'The door slammed with the wind and I couldn't get in - I had no idea how she was but luckily my husband was in there and she was ok.' The family vowed to stick together from that point on - including their two German Shepherds and a reluctant cat. Eventually they moved to the bathroom because there was too much potential for the nursery ceiling to collapse as water was pouring in from the down lights, however the bathroom presented the exact same problem. 'We did the big dramatic run to the kids bathroom because it's mainly concrete walls and a big bath tub so we thought it would be really safe there,' she said. Beth in the kitchen with Charlotte (left) and Henry (right) before the cyclone tore their home apart . This was when Beth and Kris felt they had choice but to move their family and pets to the car parked in an open patio although they were far from certain it was the safest option. 'I was freaking out in the house because we had too many ceilings coming down on us but we didn't know if moving to the car was the smart decision,' Beth said. They decided that they would attempt to drive down the road to Kris's dad's farm. 'So while the car was shaking and rattling around we tried to move it forward a few hundred feet and no way - there was too much wind, it was so dark and it was crazy with trees and debris,' Beth said. 'We didn't know how much water was around and I couldn't handle it if the car started to slide away and I would somehow have to let my children out of their car seats. 'Also, my mum wasn't strong enough to be able to swim if we had to go through something so we decided to stay put.' Beth standing on the beautiful lush land before they began to build their dream home 18 months ago . Kris left and Beth's mum (right), with Henry in the high chair, having a drink to celebrate their first Australia Day on their new deck . So with the dogs in the tray in the back of the Ford Hilux and three adults and two children in the cabin they painstakingly sat tight from midnight until 5am. 'It was horrible, we were all cramped and sopping wet and the car was not sitting still - it was shaking violently but as soon as the sun came up we could see a clear path down to Kris's dad's farm so we drove down the hill very slowly,' she said. Miraculously even the pets survived with the dogs making it though the night in the back of the ute and the cat hid in a cupboard until morning. 'Kris and I looked at each other blankly the next night as if to say "oh my goodness".' The family moved from one room to the other as water rapidly filled up in every room of the new home . Beth said the determined spirit of the Vanuatu people after such an epic disaster was nothing short of phenomenal . Beth said they feel incredibly lucky to have survived the horrendous ordeal unscathed and could not bear the thought if anything had gone wrong . Beth said they feel incredibly lucky to have survived the horrendous ordeal unscathed and could not bear the thought if anything had gone wrong. 'I couldn't care less about the house - I was only concerned about the kids and mum and keeping them calm so they experienced the least impact,' she said. 'I was very nervous and freaking out about going in the car and then driving off and being washed away and I thought "if I lose a child just let me be washed away too". 'I was just terrified that something was going to happen to the children like a ceiling was going to fall in on them while I was saving the TV so I just stayed with them the whole time.' Now sharing one room at Kris's father's place, they expect to be back in their home, where the walls are still in tact, within the next six months. Charlotte has had a few nightmares since the ordeal but was a very brave girl and went back to school yesterday . The family won't be moving back in for up to six months and are currently all sleeping in one room at Kris's dad's farm . Beth won't be cooking in her kitchen anytime soon as it took the full brunt of the massive storm . The family got to spend just one Christmas in their new home before the cyclone wreaked havoc . Beth and Kris spent 18 months ensuring the house was cyclone proof (pictured being built) - the walls are still in tact . Beth urged people to donate to the help the island get back on its feet after the biggest natural disaster in its living memory . Beth said the determined spirit of the Vanuatu people after such an epic disaster was nothing short of phenomenal. 'Their resilience is amazing,' she said. 'I just want to lie down with a magazine but you have to keep going - you can't stop in these situations.' She said the help and aid from Australia has been extremely overwhelming. 'Seeing the Australian army here just puts a smile on our faces, she said. 'But keep the support coming because it's such a long process.' To donate to the much needed cause go the following links: Red Cross, UNICEF, World Vision or Care .
Beth and Kris Russet, who moved from Australia in 2009, took 18 months to build cyclone-proof home in Vanuatu . The couple moved into the family home with their two children, and Beth's mother, in November last year . Just four months later, their brand new home was ripped apart when Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu on March 13 . The family spent five terrifying hours in their car not knowing if they would survive the horrendous ordeal . Not only did they all live to tell the miraculous story but so did their two German Shepherds and their pet cat . Beth said the determined spirit of the Vanuatu people after such an epic disaster was nothing short of phenomenal . But the rebuilding of the island was going to be a long process and she urged people to keep donating to the cause .