Fourteen kilometres of fencing was destroyed, 350 maiden ewes were killed and machinery, including a bobcat, was swept away underwater.

It’s also left debris all over Mr Toole’s paddocks, including items thrown away into Clear Creek such as lawnmowers and building materials. 

“We just couldn’t get stuff out [of the rain] quick enough,” he said.

“We got as many sheep out as we could.

“It’s left debris and crap all over my paddocks from grubs that use the creek as a dumping ground. 

“I’ve got people’s lawnmowers and building products and we think we’ve got asbestos. I’m going to ring the council to see if they can do some testing on it. If it’s asbestos, I don’t know where the bill will end.”

Mr Toole recorded 113 millimetres of rainfall on the Thursday, followed by 116 millimetres on the Friday.

He said the flood back in 1986 was the only one he remembers to be more severe than the one last week. 

“That was over a number of days, but this one, the river has broke the banks in an hour-and-a-half,” he said. 

The process of cleaning up and repairing the damaged property will be a slow one, Mr Toole saying it could take over 12 months to finish. 

“You’ve still got all your other farming and operating practices [on top of the clean up],” he said.

“We’ve had about eight people out here since Saturday fencing and we’ve only just secured our boundaries. We’ve only just started doing internal fences. I’ve got 19 paddocks and there’s one fenced at the moment.

“It’s just another card with the drought we’ve been dealt. You spend a million dollars to feed them and then you just lose them.”

Peel resident John Telford also experienced the full force of the freak weather, receiving around 70mm on both Thursday and Friday.

“I’ve lived in Peel for 16 years and in the Bathurst region for about 40 years. I’ve never seen water like that,” he said. 

The freak storm also affected farmers in the neighbouring locality of Glanmire.

During the same time on the Thursday and Friday, only 22.4mm was recorded in Bathurst.