A mammoth clean-up is set to get underway in the small Victorian town of Rochester, which has been completely inundated and cut off from other communities during the state's flooding crisis.
The floodwaters claimed the life of 71-year-old man Kevin Wills yesterday and have led to more than 160 rescues taking place in the town of just 3113 people.
Resident Darcy Craig, who sheltered in the town's flooded pub overnight, has told Today the past 48 hours have been a horrifying waiting game for the tight-knit community.
READ MORE: More warnings as floodwaters continue to inundate Victoria
"It's devastating," he said.
He said the main shock occurred yesterday, and that water levels peaked at about 3am on Sunday before now slowly beginning to recede.
"I've come out this morning and had a look. It's down to below ankle height, which is good," he said.
He showed footage of the town's local pub filled with water in all its rooms.
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Craig said the flooding had been "just another kick in the guts" for the rural township as businesses were still getting back on their feet following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The tight-knit community has only really – especially from the business side of things – only really just got over COVID and started opening doors again, started having functions."
Craig said the Rochester community was strong but would need all the help it could get to recover from the floods.
"They are a really resilient community here," he said.
READ MORE: Victorian residents furiously create sandbags as flood crisis continues
"I was just talking to the guy yesterday from Mitre 10 and he was saying they're going to help out a heap with getting people back on their feet.
"The more hands, the better. It's what's going to get it done and get it done the quickest, especially for businesses to be able to open again and trade again."
Craig has four units in the town that were flooded yesterday.
He visited them in a tinny yesterday to witness the damage himself.
Resident Brian Gemmill was reduced to tears when he discovered he had lost everything yesterday.
READ MORE: Victoria could see 'some of the largest evacuations' in the state's history
"Four feet now, everything's gone," Gemmill said.
The Rochester resident was comforted by a man who faced the same loss.
Dozens of residents have been evacuated on buses an hour away to Bendigo, more communities across the state's north continue to flood.
Residents can find the latest warnings and evacuation orders on the VicEmergency website and weather updates on the Bureau of Meteorology website.
