Rochester recovery leaves some businesses without a timeline on when they might re-open

Nature strips are filled with ruined furniture and belongings while businesses in town have lost expensive equipment.

Major's IGA Supermarket had enough flood water in it to ruin the bottom two shelves of stock.

Co-owner Rachael Major said they simply had to throw out the ruined groceries.

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"It was hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock," she said.

"We were able to get in here on, I think it was Monday, and were able to assess what had happened.

"Then the bridge opened, so we have had quite a few teams come through and help us with the clean-up - lots of volunteers.

"It's really good to see. It's different to the first time we flooded in 2011. We had a lot more people here to help us, but this time because so many more houses went under, you just don't have that."

Ms Major said she didn't know when they would be able to re-open the store and recommended residents in need of supplies to visit Elmore or Lockington supermarkets.

"Our checkout computers got wet, so we don't have a timeline on when we will be open again," she said.

"It's important people know we are closed - you will have to go to Elmore or Lockington."

Up the street, Terry White Chemmart Rochester was inundated with people filling prescriptions after being isolated or evacuated during the flood peak.

Pharmacist Brett Phillips said staff opened the store gradually after cleaning out the shop.

"One of the skills they say you need to be a community pharmacist is to be a problem-solver," he said. "We really are doing a lot of problem-solving at the moment.

"We had about 50 centimetres of water through the place, swept out the mud and pulled up the carpet.

"Before people evacuated it was 'let's go and get my scripts filled', so we were fairly flat-out in the lead-up.

"Then we've got lots of people who are on important medication and might have lost their prescriptions. The doctors are doing a wonderful job where they can because, of course, they were also hit."

Mr Phillips said the record-breaking Rochester flood saw the town's community spirit shine during the clean-up, but it was also hard for people who had lost homes or belongings.

"Like everything there's a variety (of moods)," he said. "Overall, there is overwhelming community spirit. Everybody's pitching in and helping. We've been overwhelmed with help. At the same time, it's hit a lot of people hard."

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