Alison and George Bishop returned to their Mataura home last night to find their home under a metre of water.
Matuara was the last evacuated town to be reopened in Southland after the Mataura River flooded on Wednesday morning.
The cordon was finally lifted yesterday evening.
The Bishops live on Bristol Street and had recently renovated their old villa for their retirement.
Alison Bishop told RNZ reporter Sarah Robson it's not the first time the house has been flooded.
