A family living on the outskirts of Orange in NSW "couldn't see an end" to a storm they believe registered more than 200mm of rain in just 30 minutes.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jim Gutherson lives at the top of Emu Swamp Road, near Lucknow, and was cleaning out the downpipes connecting to his water tanks in preparation for the storm on February 18.
But when lightning struck a nearby hill, he decided to get down off his metal ladder and stay safe inside, still unaware of the damage the ensuing wild weather would cause.
"It didn't come from anywhere, it just built up over the top of us," Mr Gutherson said.
"It was reasonably heavy for five minutes, then the hail came and then the downpour."
Mr Gutherson pulled out his camera to start filming the rain, but less than 15 second later, water started making its way into the home.
"It was coming in through the walls," he added.
"We had three of us in the house and we started putting towels around where it was coming in, but they soon got overwhelmed."
The house flooded and their 150mm rain gauge filled up so quickly that Mr Gutherson estimated they received anywhere between 200mm and 250mm during the storm.
The rain gauge at Orange Airport recorded 62.8mm on Sunday as a severe storm warning was issued for the region.
While the damage to the house wasn't "too bad" for Mr Gutherson and his family thanks to their concrete floors, he did hold concern for the timber wall framing due to the estimated 60 litres of water that made its way inside.
"There were some panic stations because we couldn't see an end to what was happening," he added.
"The last time the house flooded was three years ago, but nowhere near as much as this."
Mr Gutherson planned to spend all of Monday carrying out repairs to the house, with insurance assessors scheduled to come later in the week.