 A Chinook blasted into Theodore's town centre, delivering a water purifier, cargo vital to the abandoned town's recovery. It will supply seven and a half thousand litres of clean drinking water every day. Theodore is baking beneath mud, 148 of the town's 240 houses went under, along with every business. We've got some rain last night that brought the creeks up and road access has been closed. We've just had a bus full of business people coming down here to check out their businesses. They've had to turn back. Rob Glasbrook was the first shop owner to return. His electrical store filled with a metre of water. Thankfully so far there's no damage. He owns three houses, all were inundated. It's heartbreaking really when you think about it, but nothing we can do other than just get back on and horse and keep going. The local news agent fought an earlier flood but lost his shop to the second. Power's off, the generator's been got full of water. I've been trying for a while to get the generator started and I can't get that started now. A local disaster recovery has been activated, reconnecting power phones, sewerage and the hospital before residents return. One person from each home will be allowed back to Theodore next week. Almost two thirds of the houses here could be uninhabitable. We've got ourselves ready to house those people on emergency accommodation. At least they'll be home in Theodore, Erin Edwards, 7 News.