Last week’s massive overnight hail storm that hit Fountain and southern Colorado Springs caused an estimated $169 million.
Data from the non-profit Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association shows 26,000 claims against auto and homeowners insurance policies have been filed as of June 22nd.
Baseball and golf ball sized hail pounded roofs, windows cars and everything else as the storm came roaring through before dawn on June 13th. According to RMIIA, this was the 12th most expensive hail storm in the state’s history.
On the morning everyone was surveying the damage, a woman in Fountain told News 5, “I drove the neighborhood, I didn’t see a car without a broken windshield. It’s going to be a catastrophe for everybody.”
Fort Carson also took a hit with damage to District 8 buildings and vehicles. Most of the damage included broken skylights and broken windshields.
The damage is so extensive the Fountain Police Department granted a 14 day grace period for people to get repairs for broken windshields. Of course, you’ll still need to be able to see out of their windshield so it does not cause danger to yourself or any others on the road. The police department is also working with local organizations to host a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to help people pay for repairs. CLICK HERE for more information,
Homeowners, auto shops, roofers, towing companies, and insurance companies will have at least several busy weeks ahead trying to sort out and repair damage.
Storms, especially severe ones, typically fire up in the afternoon and evening around Colorado so this storm was an anomaly. National Weather Service Pueblo reported that until this storm, there had never been an event in El Paso county during the morning hours with hail 2 inches in diameter or larger.
The hail event also killed hundreds of fish at Fountain Creek Regional Park. El Paso County Parks Operations Division Manager Brian Bobeck, says, “The colder water temperatures mixing with warmer water can result in the pond turning over and depleting oxygen, resulting in fish kill.”
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