Hail Storms Cause Damage Along Front Range
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4)- Parts of the Front Range were pummeled with hail Thursday that caused damage from Littleton to Colorado Springs.
A viewer sent CBS4 video from a Walmart in Colorado Springs that shows people taking cover and rushing from the store as water poured through the roof inside.
Mother Nature also caused some damage to vehicles. Keith Robertson's wife got caught driving in the hail storm near Littleton.
"The sky blew open," he says. "She tried to get under some trees but we got hail damage to the top of the car."
Robertson stopped by the Maaco off Sante Fe in Littleton to get an estimate. The auto body shop is busy making repairs to many cars caught in the same storm. So, what's the best way to handle the hail damage?
Maaco's General Manager Frank McFadden says the first thing to do is get an estimate.
"We'll help you make the decision as to whether or not this is something you want to turn into your insurance," said McFadden.
McFadden says you should find a body shop willing to navigate your auto insurance policy and deductible. Also, it's important to find one that works with your insurance company. The repairs, he says, can get pricey.
"Oh yeah," McFadden says. "These two cars have $8,000 worth of damage to them, each."
CBS4's Jennifer Brice watched cars undergo paintless dent repair. The divots are massaged out from underneath. It's the best possible repair, according to Maaco, because it keeps the manufacturing original on the car.
One car hood can take up to five hours to fix.
Colorado Springs Airport spokesman Nathan Lavan said Friday that one flight was canceled and others were delayed after Thursday's storm delivered tennis ball-sized hail and multiple lightning strikes.
Lavan says the airport sustained up to $500,000 in damage. Numerous vehicles in the parking lot also were damaged.
Jennifer Brice is a reporter with CBS4 focusing on crime and courts. Follow her on Facebook or on Twitter @CBS4Jenn.
