"The noise was crazy" as a fierce storm that was like a "mini-cyclone" bore down on the Nevertire Hotel, ripping off a section of roof and blowing the front door off its hinges, the publican says.
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"You could hear all the tin rattling and shaking and then it just started lifting," Harriet Gilmore said.
"A lot of it came off the front verandah of the pub, and it blew over the top of the pub and scattered all across the beer garden, in the kids playground and down the street behind the pub."
Mrs Gilmore, who along with her sisters Tori and Georgia Lawler runs Nevertire's only pub, recounted the moment on Saturday about 6.30pm when the severe storm hit the town.
It devastated buildings in its path and brought down power lines, before continuing a path of destruction across the region.
"The whole town has experienced some significant damage," Mrs Gilmore said on Monday.
"Houses have had their roofs torn off, next door to us is an old shop and shed, the shed has collapsed."
It's a cruel blow for the rural community, which had already experienced years of drought and then COVID-19 restrictions.
"It's been a pretty tumultuous year with COVID and being shut and we've been wonderfully busy since being back open and everyone's just had a bumper harvest out here so we were flat out at the pub for that and to be shut again now is pretty devastating," Mrs Gilmore said.
But community members rallied together immediately, and throughout Sunday and Monday.
"Some wonderful" builders from Warren came out and together with local patrons helped with putting tarps on the roof, to protect what as much as possible, Mrs Gilgmore said.
Wreckage lay throughout the streets.
Everyone I think is in a bit of shock, but... we were so lucky to have so many wonderful people in the community arrive first thing yesterday morning to help clean up, not just the pub but the whole town.
- Nevertire Hotel publican Harriet Gilmore
"Everyone I think is in a bit of shock, but... we were so lucky to have so many wonderful people in the community arrive first thing yesterday morning to help clean up, not just the pub but the whole town," Mrs Gilmore said.
"There were sheets of tin and trees everywhere, and it just shows how lucky we are to live in such a great spot.
"And also Essential Energy was here first thing, there were probably 40 Essential Energy workers and helicopters working all day, trying to get the tower back up and [power returned to] the town, which was incredible."
Emergency building assessors had come to the hotel on Sunday, securing the loose tin and other materials, the start of what could be a long process.
"So now we just wait, hopefully the assessors should be here soon... and then see what we can do," Mrs Gilmore said.
"Obviously we'd love to get something temporary up and running as soon as we can, so it's just waiting to see what we can utilise still at the building and at the house and then go from there."
GrainCorp corporate affairs manager Jess Simons said: "Our teams are assessing the impact of the storms in the area over the weekend, following the loss of some tarps on sites in Nevertire and Trangie."
"We encourage all growers to stay in close contact with their local area or site managers so that we can advise them of any changes to opening hours or delivery requirements," she said.
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.
