Before a ferocious flash flood wiped out much of a rural town, locals were doing all they could to look out for each other.

As low-lying water lapped into Eugowra, in central western NSW, on the morning of November 14, 2022, Diane Smith was preparing to go to another local's house to cook breakfast for State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers.

The 60-year-old medical receptionist and life-long resident had lived through plenty of floods in the village, which surrounds the Mandagery Creek.

When the water began to rise, Ljubisa "Les" Vugec's neighbour saw the 85-year-old in his backyard and urged him to get to higher ground.

But this flood was like no other, a coronial inquest has been told, with an unexpected and swirling "wall of water" suddenly hitting the town after 9am.

Ms Smith wa

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