“It sounded like softballs”: Residents recover after powerful hailstorm

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Residents in Lorson Ranch and Fountain are undertaking cleanup efforts after a severe hail storm swept through the area Tuesday afternoon and evening. The storm left widespread damage to some homes and vehicles. The impact included broken car windows, dented vehicles, roof damage and a significant amount of debris.

The recent hailstorm produced sizes ranging from ping-pong balls to baseballs, leaving substantial debris across the affected communities. In Fountain, some residents mobilized with leaf blowers, tractors and snow shovels to clear their properties and local parking lots of the storm's remnants.

David Watts, a resident affected by the hailstorm, described the sudden onset of the severe weather.

“I felt a few raindrops. And literally within 30 [seconds], the hail came down with its greatest intensity,” David Watts recalled the rapid escalation of the storm.

Although Watts had yet to check for damage to building structures, such as roofs, he did confirm that at least one of his family's cars sustained some damage. He shared a photo of a car window left shattered from the storm.

Comparing it to previous events, Watts recounted a worse storm in 2016 or 2017 that he says hit his house like rocks and caused broken windows and significant car damage. He mentioned that the recent hail was about golf ball size, in contrast to a previous storm that had tennis ball-sized hail.

Jordan Richardson, a resident of Lorson Ranch, shared his surprise at the intensity of the hail.

“It sounded like softballs were hitting my roofs, and it was just like, boom, boom, boom. It almost didn't sound real for a long time, and I was just in shock,” Richardson shared with KRDO13.

He and his family found hail up to three inches in their yard. They did note that the hail size varied even a few streets over, with some neighbors experiencing only ping-pong ball-sized hail.

Richardson said he found minor damage to his gutters and had moved his cars inside as a precaution. He said he had not seen hail like this before living in Lorson Ranch, though he was in Denver during a large hail storm a couple of years ago.

Both Watts and Richardson emphasized the importance of being ready for such events.

“Make sure your, your homeowner's insurance is up to date, because replacing your roof would be really expensive,” said Watts.

Local roofers tell KRDO13 they assessed multiple homes with damage from the hail. With more chances for severe storms in the forecast, neighbors recommend taking proactive steps for protection.

“Make sure your cars are properly equipped. Put them in a garage. If you don't have a garage, make sure you have some type of hail blanket or something like that, because it could get pretty bad.” Richardson also commented on the unusual timing of the storm, stating, “This is really surprising, weather this early usually starts in August, right? That's when I think hail season really is. So it's kind of weird now, but I guess the El Niño is here, so anything's possible, right?”

You can find StormTracker13's latest forecast here.

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