Flood-stricken farmers are now preparing for drought despite years of relentless rain

Flood-stricken farmers are preparing their properties for another drought despite years of relentless rain.

The end of the La Nina weather event was officially declared in September last year, bringing dry spells across the country.

Even though Scott Brown's family has been farming for almost 90 years, he said the tough times still hurt.

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"The flood was the biggest flood I'd ever seen in my life," Scott told A Current Affair.

The 78-year-old still works for his son Murray, who took over the livestock and crop farm in the New South Wales central west.

"Farming is in our blood and I just like coming out everyday and just seeing how things are going," Scott said.

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The desperate fight to save their livelihood is still vivid in Murray's mind.

"When it came down to fighting your own battle you felt isolated I suppose, because you were just totally focused on your own battles," Murray said.

A man-made levee metres from his home was the only thing that saved the family from losing everything.

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"We spent the next two days after we secured this bank, airlifting stock out from another part of the property that were trapped," Murray said.

At one end of the property a forklift is still cleaning debris, while at the other Murray and his dad are drought feeding sheep.

"That's farming in Australia. It's a diverse climate. Very rarely do things go to plan," Murray said.

A freak hail storm a month ago wiped out $150,000 of Gary Burton's crop near Dubbo.

"The first thing you look at when you get up is what is the day going to be? Your whole business revolves around the weather," Burton said.

While the bare paddock looks dry, Burton said under the surface there's hope.

"(There's) moisture that will be used to grow this year's winter crop," Burton said.

Meteorologist Dean Narramore said La Nina caused very volatile and variable weather patterns across Australia.

La Nina describes "where the hottest water in the pacific ocean lies", Narramore said.

"(It) pushes that warm water into the western parts of the pacific, particularly to the north and east of Australia, leading to more rain and thunderstorm activity."

We're now on El Nino watch, which could send farmers back into drought in the coming years.

"That is when the warmest water is off the South American coast and we actually have colder than average sea surface temperatures that leads to less rainfall and less moisture," Narramore said.

Burton said they'll have to roll up their sleeves and go again" when it happens. "That's the nature of what farming is," he said.