A “fast and furious” storm has ripped the roof off a Dubbo couple’s home in a frightening ordeal early on Wednesday.
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Holes were smashed through the ceiling and moments later the rain pelted in on Bob and Anmaree Kilgour.
The sudden and vicious storm hit about 2am, leaving destruction in its path.
“I quite literally thought we were going to die, I really did,” Mrs Kilgour said.
Daylight revealed the full extent of the property destruction that could only be guessed at in the dark.
The roof from half the house was strewn across a wide part of the yard, some parts “curled up into a ball”.
Inside, multiple rooms have holes in the ceiling, the sky above visible through the gaps.
Carpets are a sodden mess and the couple’s bed in drenched.
Pieces of insulation can be seen on the ground and some were caught on tree branches.
Mr Kilgour’s ute’s windscreen was smashed by an unknown projectile.
Mrs Kilgour recalled the moments leading up to the emergency.
“About 1.30am I heard thunder and saw lightning through the windows and then I heard this wind, it was like nothing I’ve ever heard before in my life, it was like a whistle,” she said.
“But it was getting louder and you could feel the wind pushing on the house… then next thing you know, boom.
“The whole roof was in the process of lifting off, and things were smashing through the bedroom ceiling.”
The storm came with 43mm of rainfall “inside and outside” of the home located on Dubbo’s outskirts.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) responded to their call for help, assisting with with tarps to cover furniture and other belongings.
“It was the longest night, from 2 o’clock to sun up just dragged on and on and on,” Mrs Kilgour said.
“I’ve never wished for the sun to come up like I did this morning, just to see what was going on...
“Terrifying is a word I wouldn’t use lightly, but that was.”
With no sleep, the day was spent making phone calls to the insurance company and friends.
“It’s all fixable, I know, but it’s going to take a long while to get back normal,” Mrs Kilgour said.
“So it’s thrown our lives into turmoil.”
The couple highlighted the importance of having insurance, saying “you just don’t know” when it will be needed.
They offered a vote of thanks to the SES for its “amazing” response.
“They are volunteers, they all have day jobs, they did all they could,” Mrs Kilgour said.
Her determination shone through despite the ordeal.
“I’ve had bigger hurdles to face than this, so this is just a deviation in the road,” she said.
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Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
