FLOATING bags of potting mix helped Mike and Sheryn Johnson protect their Molong cafe from major floodwater damage on Friday evening but others in the town's central business area weren't so lucky.
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Business owners at the eastern end of Bank Street and along the Mitchell Highway spent a water-logged night mopping up after flood water starting rising quickly from about 4pm on Friday before receding overnight.
By early Saturday morning the water was gone but the Molong community had rallied to help with the cleanup.
Kim Stojanov was thankful for the community's support after the Telegraph Hotel, which she run with husband Dave, was among the first to be inundated.
"We've had to rip all the carpet out of the place ..." she said.
"I was here 'til four in the morning, everyone that helped us was amazing.
"But to turn up this morning and to have 50 people and the firies and friends and families [be here]. They are amazing."
She added fellow hospitality businesses had been running coffee and food to clean-up crews throughout the morning while a local electrician had checked her electrical system.
While water covered the floor in her Sweetness Cafe, Mrs Johnson said it could have been a lot worse.
"They (the potting mix bags) were just floating past so I grabbed them and starting using them," Mrs Johnson said. "They saved us."
Potting mix bags also enabled H Hardware Store manager Steve McMillan to protect his business.
"It was weird, potting mix, gas bottles, big sheets of gyprock floating around," Mr McMillan said. "It just came up and then it went down."
Most of the business which the Central Western Daily spoke to yesterday said the water came from the drains.
There was also little or no warning and sandbags were scarce.
Jodie Laffin from Be Tempted at Barnesys said she and husband Rob had started lifting their stock to higher shelving at around 2pm fearing the worse, as did Wendy Henry from Booful Gifts and Homewares across the road.
"I went down to the supermarket and bought some bags and we started packing things up 2.30pm, I just got a feeling," Ms Henry said.
Mrs Laffin said her business used oil bladders to try and block the water.
"Luckily we had oil bladders, we laid them out the back but it was already coming in," she said.
Member for Orange Phil Donato visited Molong on Saturday and said he was delighted by the community spirit.
He said Cabonne residents affected by Friday's flash flooding are eligible for disaster funding after they were included in 13 local government areas added to the list on Friday.
Also on the list is Blayney.
Assistance available under the DRFA may include:
Help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged (eligibility criteria apply)
Support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets
Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations
Freight subsidies for primary producers, and
Grants to eligible non-profit organisations.
For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88.
To apply for a concessional loan or grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au
Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government's Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au
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