The August 16 storm over the south Denver metro produced something most drivers never see: hail deep enough to bury a road.
What happened
Heavy rain combined with hail accumulation of as much as three feet clogged streets across Douglas and Arapahoe counties. Crews carried out close to a dozen vehicle rescues where drivers were stranded in the slush. Two separate water rescues took place at Chatfield State Park after paddleboarders were caught out when the winds came up.
Deep hail is a different problem than large hail
Colorado gets both, and they damage vehicles differently.
Large hail — single big stones — puts a smaller number of deep dents into horizontal panels. That is the classic hail car.
Accumulating hail at three feet deep brings a second set of problems:
- Water intrusion. Melting hail plus heavy rain finds door seals, sunroof
drains and cabin air intakes. Carpet and underlay hold that water for weeks.
- Undercarriage and lower-body damage. Driving through packed hail is like
driving through gravel. Rocker panels, splash shields and wheel-well liners take the hit.
- Brake and cooling system contamination. Slush carries grit into places it
does not belong.
If your car was driven through or recovered from deep hail, the dent count is only part of the estimate. Say so when the claim is opened, because water damage handled late is far more expensive than water damage handled early.
What to check yourself this week
- Lift the floor mats and press the carpet with your palm. Damp underlay smells
before it shows.
- Check the sunroof drains if the vehicle has them.
- Look at the headliner around any roof dents. A dent that broke through the
paint can let water in.
- Run the HVAC on recirculate and smell for mildew.
Then get the vehicle scoped properly. Hail damage has to be read under reflective lighting to be counted accurately, which is why we do estimates in person rather than from photos. Schedule an in-person estimate and we will tell you where the nearest crew is working.
Source: KKTV — Heavy rain, hail leads to stranded drivers, water rescues in Denver area