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Lasting Impact From Hail Storm: Rental Car Shortage

By Rick Sallinger

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The deluge of hail on May 8 may have been the most expensive hail storm in modern state history, but it also appears to have led to a shortage of cars available at rental car companies in the Denver metro area.

Severe Weather May 8, 2017
Hail left holes in a car parked at the Colorado Mills on May 8, 2017 (credit: CBS)

At one Enterprise location in Aurora on Thursday, CBS4 was told no cars were available until next Tuesday. Insurance and collision companies are given priority.

Benito Rodriguez
(credit: CBS)

Benito Rodriguez was lucky, he was able to get one through his insurance company.

"They had cars for me, and I just wanted to change one out," Rodriguez said.

Enterprise told CBS4 hundreds of its own vehicles were damaged by the storm, but it is moving vehicles from the airport to the city and
into Denver from other cities.

hertz
(credit: CBS)

CBS4 also visited the Hertz downtown location. Earlier by phone, we told nothing was available at the location until the 4th of July. The lot was practically empty.

But a Hertz corporate spokesperson insisted there were no problems in the Denver area. The company said it to has brought in thousands of vehicles and priority is given to those who have had theirs damaged by the storm.

Next stop was Avis downtown. CBS4 was told there were cars available here, in contrast to a call to the location earlier in the day. In that call, Avis said maybe just one might be available later.

CBS4's Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.

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