Rochester resident counts the cost of floods as 'avalanche' of water destroys possessions

Resident Trevor Romer said he knew the water rising from the Campaspe River would hit him, but he wasn't aware a weir south of his property had burst, sending water towards his house from every direction.

"They had helicopters in the air and they'd seen what was happening but we weren't told," he said.

"We probably had an hour from when we knew about it but I didn't realise it was going to come here, so I didn't worry."

Mr Romer described the flood as a "four-foot high avalanche".

"Everyone bagged for about 1.5 metre - it went over that," he said.

"I've never seen water travel that fast, it was like being in the movies or something. In eight minutes it was done, and people didn't have time to think."

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With efforts to stop the water inside his home proving a vain attempt, Mr Romer said he made a dash for his ute, but water damage to the car caused it to lock from the inside.

"I thought my days were gone," he said. "Somehow the door opened... for all intents and purposes I should've drowned in that car. I don't know why I did it, I was just not thinking."

Mr Romer spent Friday night in hospital with hypothermia.

When he returned to his home, he found it was one of the worst hit in Rochester.

"I lost the lot, absolutely the lot," he said.

His caravan was full of water, his Harley Davidson and prized Holden HR both severely water damaged. All his possessions are strewn out on his front lawn.

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One positive for him was how the local community came together to look after itself.

"Everyone's rallied around, ripped the carpet up and we just went house to house," he said.

"They did mine and then I went and did my neighbours, someone came around with some food and drinks so that was good, but we probably need more people up here."

There are calls from residents for more support with cleanup efforts, which are expected to take months.

"We need real help, boots on the ground help," Mr Romer said. "It's clear; it's stuffed, it's buggered. We need more people to actually go around and help people, there's people like me who are on their own."

For people like Mr Romer, the memory of these devastating floods won't pass anytime soon.

"I've got no intention of coming back [to Rochester], he said. "I can't come back, every time I walk up that road I'm going to see that avalanche coming down."

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