Amarillo Hailstorm Damage Estimated at $400M

A massive hailstorm that blanketed the Texas panhandle city of Amarillo on May 28 is proving costly.

An estimated 35,000 vehicles and thousands of homes were damaged in the May 28 storm. Insured losses are expected to reach $400 million.

Hail up to the size of baseballs pounded vehicles, knocked out windshields and damaged roofs. The storm moved directly through the center of this city of nearly 200,000.

Cody Kemp, an insurance agent with the Alice Brooks Insurance Agency, said some hail has large as tomatoes or apples fell on parts of Amarillo. Kemp said the double-paned skylight windows on his parent’s home were knocked out from the hail.

Several auto dealerships with hundreds of new vehicles were damaged and work crews at auto body shops in Amarillo say they are being slammed.

“We are now at a two month wait to get vehicles repaired and we’ve just started taking orders,” said Tanton Lowery, a detail specialist at Drury Body Shop.

Roofers say they will be busy replacing roofs through this time next year.

“It’s a war zone out there,” said Brandon Roberts of West Texas Roofing. “It is the worst damage I have ever seen and it doesn’t even compare to the 2004 hailstorm, which was the costliest hailstorm in Amarillo’s history.”

Roberts said many high end roofs and class 4 asphalt shingle roofs are totaled out. While the 2004 storm had up to 4 inch hail, Roberts said this storm caused even more damage.

“The density of this hail was off the charts,” Robert said.

Eric Miller with the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce said he will be getting a new roof as the brunt of the storm passed directly over his home.

“While it was a bad storm, we feel lucky compared to what has happened in Oklahoma,” Miller said.

Source: Insurance Council of Texas