Spirits remained high despite the Avoca River, which was dry a couple of months ago, flooding the town.

Older residents recalled the 1954 floods, while young people were excited to see so much water in the drought-ravaged town.

Linton McGrath, 16, said students were turned away from Charlton College yesterday morning and told the school would be also closed today.

“Two weeks ago we had never seen the river that high and now it’s in the main street,’’ he said.

While many homes flooded, just as many were lucky to escape interior damage with the water licking at their doorsteps.

Eily Rosewall’s Watson Street home was surrounded by water.

She said it was worse than the 1954 flood.

“By Sunday night it was coming down the gutters and by 10am it was coming down the driveway,’’ she said.

Ray Zini has lived at his home next to the river for 62 years.

His ducks thrived in the conditions as his neighbours helped move his goats to higher ground, but his chooks died in the flood.

“It’s worse than the 1956 floods,’’ he said.

“A couple of months ago I said to someone I doubt this river will ever run again.

“It was hard to imagine this could happen.’’

Andrew Watts, a farmer at Coonooer Bridge, 26 kilometres south of Charlton, said he moved his sheep on Friday, straight after the rain.

Mr Watts said he was yet to assess the damage to his farm, which had sheep, grain and hay.