El Paso County seeks more help for hail victims
El Paso County is working with state officials to determine if more financial assistance may be available to victims of the hailstorm a week ago Monday.
County spokesman Dave Rose said the county has submitted paperwork to the state about several hailstorms in the county this summer.
“There isn’t enough uninsured damage for the county to declare a federal disaster,” he said. “But the state may be able to declare a disaster if it combines damage amounts from all of its hailstorms this year. We’re waiting to see how that turns out.”
Rose said if the state receives federal disaster status, it would share disaster relief funds with affected areas, including El Paso County.
“I don’t know how much we might get,” he said.
In two days after the latest storm, the county allocated $500,000 in donations from the El Pomar Foundation, to victims.
Rose said beyond the state possibility, no plans have been announced to provide more money to victims.
The money is being used to help meet insurance deductibles, to pay for needs not covered by insurance and for emergency housing.
Sandy White, a storm victim in Fountain, said the El Pomar donation ran out before she could apply.
“I have a $250 deductible on my car and a $1,500 deductible on my roof,” she said. “I have damage to both. I can afford to pay the car deductible but not the roof deductible. And I have just one vehicle. Some people have two or three. Without help, what are they going to do?”
Pattii Serrano, another Fountain storm victim, agrees.
“I lost my car in the June hailstorm,” she said. “The hail last week destroyed my front window. Everywhere you look, there are broken windshields and dented vehicles. I didn’t ask for any of the El Pomar money because I’m not as bad off as many others are. But this is a financial hardship for a lot of people. They need help.”
Rose said the roof of the Fountain Creek Nature Center, damaged in the June storm, sustained additional damage last week.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office reports damage to 118 vehicles from the June and August hailstorms. Most of them have been repaired and are back in service.
Several county maintenance vehicles also were damaged in last week’s storm.
An estimated 20,000 claims have been filed by victims after the storm.
