Rachel Phillips recounts wild afternoon in the heart of Toormina storm

A mum’s quick trip to the shops became an hours-long ordeal that ended with a smashed up car and a house full of water.

Despite enduring the proverbial day from hell, Rachel Phillips is remarkably upbeat.

The Toormina mother was caught in the thick of Wednesday’s devastating storm which wreaked havoc across the Coffs Coast.

Not only did she witness a roof collapse at her local shopping centre, Ms Phillips’ car and house were severely damaged by hailstones that were almost the size of golf balls.

“And to top it all off, I am going through cancer treatment at the moment and I had to go to chemo this morning as well,” she said.

“It’s all happening.”

Caught at Toormina Gardens shopping centre when the storm hit, Ms Phillips joined the throng of shoppers looking out at the wild weather outside.

Rachel Phillips was caught in the thick of the ferocious storm which battered the Coffs Coast on Wednesday, October 20. Ms Phillips also had to walk to to pick her kids up from school due to the roads being undrivable in the thick layer of hail. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Then, with the sound of hail thundering on the roof, water started streaming in from the ceiling.

“That’s when the roof started collapsing,” she said.

“Everyone was just shocked, we didn't know whether it was safer outside or inside because we were looking up at the ceiling wondering where it's going to go next.”

Ms Phillips said it was when a second section of roof collapsed in Lowes that the situation became a little more “serious” and the shocked shoppers were directed to evacuate through an emergency exit.

They were met with more scenes of destruction outside in a carpark described as “a mess”.

The force of the supercell proved too much for many cars which were left with windows, lights and panels smashed.

Despite finding her own car badly damaged, Ms Phillips’ ordeal was far from over.

Rachel Phillips’ car was seriously damaged by the storm. Photo: Rachel Phillips

She spent an hour trying to drive the 800m home through the flooded icy roads and thick fog only to find it was “raining on the inside” of her Ramornie Drive property.

The hail had banked up on the roof and was pouring inside through the light fittings.

Her insurance company is assessing the damage and the family have been forced to find alternate accommodation.

Despite the crazy event, Ms Phillips remained positive.

“It’s such a unique experience, all you can do is laugh I guess,” Ms Phillips said.

“At least we will get a nice new ceiling and lights.”

The State Emergency Service received more than 830 calls for assistance by Thursday morning, the most they had ever recorded for a single event.