Claims manager John Simpson yesterday predicted the damage would result in the most claims ever made from one event in Victoria. It has put on extra staff in anticipation of the demand.

Meanwhile, thousands of Melburnians faced the devastation of water-ruined homes and damaged cars as they started the big mop-up.

At 4pm Monday, the SES had taken 6650 storms calls and still had another 2750 cases to work through - some from Saturday's giant hailstone pounding; others from Sunday night's torrential downpour.

Most of the calls were from around Knox, where the SES took 2200 calls on Friday, Lysterfield, Scoresby and Essendon, where 600 calls for help went out.

By late Monday afternoon, 1500 households in Knox were still waiting for help to arrive.

Tiles were torn off roofs, ceilings collapsed, water flooded down walls and light fittings, and wind brought down trees, SES spokeswoman Kate Millar said.

Areas that received the heaviest rain between midnight Friday and 5pm yesterday included Scoresby with 66 millimetres and the city with 65mm, and, in country areas, Benalla with 143mm and Euroa and Mansfield with 139mm.

Melbourne Water reported the storms delivered an unseasonal boost of 55mm to Melbourne's water storages over the 48-hour period to 8am yesterday.

The boost to the Thomson Dam was 48mm, with the Upper Yarra gaining 54mm, Maroondah 48mm and O'Shannassy 54mm.

A bucket and mop stood in the hallway of Anna Teofilo's double-storey house in Wantirna South yesterday, where the SES had declared the house a priority job.

''I heard a bang and saw massive ice balls the size of oranges,'' Mrs Teofilo said.

Windows in the laundry were broken and water dripped down the walls, into light fittings and through heating ducts.

Frank Teofilo, who was on the roof securing tarpaulins that had come loose, said the whole roof had to be replaced.