He said every inconsiderate driver who sprayed water on his Loyalty St home yesterday brought it closer to flooding, as it had twice in the past three years.
Then, in the early afternoon, there was a standoff.
A speeding silver sedan was halted by Mr McFarlane, who stood blocking it, calf deep in floodwater, wearing gumboots and waterproof camo gear.
The driver revved the engine and hurtled towards Mr McFarlane.
He jumped out of the way, but was clipped by the car which sped off, spraying water everywhere.
He was brought to tears by what he saw as the lack of courtesy among some drivers.
"You’re sending waves through our property and it’s just speeding up the process of us being flooded. At the moment my house is lower than the water level, but the moment it gets over the rise, we fill up."
Mr McFarlane lives in the house with his partner and son.
Yesterday’s deluge brought back memories of the June 2015 floods during which water rose through the family’s floorboards.
Water swept through the lounge and bathroom and his son’s room, forcing them to move everything to higher ground.
In last year’s floods they were affected again, but the damage was less severe.
Fortunately, yesterday’s rain eased before the water could creep inside.
Mr McFarlane said the only positive was that residents of the street "looked out for each other".
"We’ve formed our own neighbourhood watch."
Leona Hurndell, who lives across the street, had sandbags out the front of her home yesterday.
Her house was slightly raised, making flooding less likely than some of her neighbours, she said.
She, too, was angered by the cars which sped down the street.
"They just race down like idiots."
