LA VETA – It has been a rough summer in this small town. First, extreme drought struck the region, then the Spring Fire forced people to flee the community surrounding July 4th, the most profitable weekend of the summer. Now, what many long-time locals call the worst hail storm in memory has left significant damage throughout the town.
The storm hit around 7:00 Tuesday evening, dropping golf-ball-size hail throughout the community, lasting about ten minutes and pummeling any surface the hail stones came in contact with. RVs at Lucy’s RV Park were dimpled by hail stones and some awnings were punched through by the hail. Vehicles across town sustained significant damage, including dents, broken mirrors and brake lights, and cracked windshields. Some homes and buildings sustained damage to roofs, siding, and windows.
“It’s about the fiercest storm I’ve seen here,” said Adrienne Berkon, a La Veta resident since the 1970s. “It was freaky, really scary,” said La Veta resident Katherine Stuart.
The hail also did significant damage to the La Veta School District’s fleet of suburbans which, instead of buses, are used to shuttle students to and from school. Superintendent Bree Lessar says district-provided transportation will not be available for students during the first week of school next week. Two buses used for athletic competitions, field trips, and other functions are being evaluated for damage.
“We had such a terrible drought, the terrible fire, and now this,” Stuart said. “It’s like everything is happening in La Veta at once. It’s been very hard on the town.”
