Toney Baldwin’s house was a disaster zone following Friday afternoon’s storm in Gunnedah.

Water-logged, wrecked and roofless, the Wandobah Road property was ripped to pieces by high winds which locals believed far exceeded the official 95km/h wind gust recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology.

“I’ve been burnt out, flooded out and now this,” remarked a despondent 73-year-old Mr Baldwin.  

“I was getting out of my car in the driveway and the whole roof blew off.”

His entire house was flooded by rainwater and nearly every room suffered damage.

The kitchen was strewn with debris as State Emergency Service volunteers worked to tarp the exposed ceiling.

Sharee Bennett lives a few doors down and was in disbelief as the storm thundered past like a freight train.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Ms Bennett said.

“When the wind rolled in, we got under the table where we would be safe…. we had to.”

After Mr Baldwin’s roof peeled from its rafters, shocked neighbours watched helplessly as it “cartwheeled” over the fence.

Three large sheets landed in Tony Collins property, narrowly missing his house but crushing his garden shed.

“I saw it lift and twist in the air like it was nothing,” Mr Collins said.

“Thank god it didn’t hit the house.”

Local SES crews were kept busy late Friday responding to more than 40 call-outs in the area.

Power had been restored to most properties except about 50 customers north of Gunnedah and another 50 in the Lake Keepit area.

EARLIER: It was a wild welcome to the weekend in Gunnedah after a powerful storm whipped through parts of town on Friday.

Wind gusts peaked at 95km/h (51 knots) as thunderstorms rolled in from the west about 2pm.

At least on residence on Wandobah Road lost its roof in the gale-force winds which bordered on the Bureau of Meteorology’s definition of “hurricane force wind warning” of 64 knots or more.

Hundreds of homes lost power, most west of Gunnedah. Essential Energy were reporting more 400 customers were still without power in that area at about 4pm.

Gunnnedah Airport recorded 10mm of rain in 30 minutes – the highest rainfall this year.

A large tree which fell across Wandobah Road blocked access near the rugby club for a short while. But clean-up crews were quick to respond and the tree was soon removed.