Hailstorm from last Friday rings up damage
Azure Mitchell/News-Sun
Mother Nature struck again last Friday, dropping golf ball-sized hail that shattered windows, destroyed gardens and damaged hundreds of vehicles in a wide swath that included Hobbs and Lovington.
And around the area, residents are still picking up the pieces and roofers assessing damages from a hail storm that struck at the end of May.
Oscar Terrazas from Roma Insurance in Hobbs said despite the reported damages from last Friday, some residents are waiting to file claims from May because they suspect this isn’t going to be the last storm.
“It was definitely a catastrophe,” Terrazas said. “We were very busy Monday, lots of messages from the weekend.”
Terrazas said insurance agencies and roofers have been overwhelmed with business. And Chad Carlisle, from Roof Tech in Hobbs, said many residents seeking repairs may not receive service until July due to the overwhelm of agencies. He said those waiting to record damages until the hail passes might be waiting longer for any repairs.
“They may wait until the middle of July to get their roofs done but most roofing companies — with the storm in Lovington, the storm in Hobbs, and the storm in Lubbock — by the time you file a claim you’re going to be in the middle of July anyway,” he said.
One Hobbs resident, Cindy Shoobridge, is experiencing just how long this process might take after having nine of her skylights shattered by the hail last Friday.
“Yeah, it was terrible. We were sitting there (in the living room) watching the Yankees game going, ‘Oh my gosh,” Shoobridge said.
Shoobridge said this storm felt like it came out of nowhere, and once it did arrive, it truly made its presence known. The balls of ice dropped into her pool which emitted deafening sounds, it destroyed the flowers in her front hard and smashed any exposed glass.
She said she and her husband quickly cleaned the broken glass and called for aid. The couple found someone to cover up the now open spaces in the roof with tarps and someone to help pick up the fallen branches in their yard.
Temperatures during the day last Friday were in the 90s but by evening, cold air moved into the region, which spawned the hail. And, truth be told, the storm wasn’t ours at first.
Meteorologist Justin Lopez, from the local National Weather Service office in Odessa, said last Friday’s storm travelled hundreds of miles.
“Looks like we had an upper-level disturbance rollover from The Rocky Mountains out into the Great Plains and then we had some storms from the previous day,” Lopez said.
The system that affected Lea County is known as a meso-alpha boundary, he said. Simply put, it’s a small-scale weather boundary where winds and temperature can change suddenly, which has the potential to strengthen storms.
“Like a little cold front from the Texas Panhandle down to Southeastern New Mexico,” Lopez said.
Lopez said this might not be the last we’ll be seeing of the icy invaders. He said NWS radar detected a small storm front in the area. But Lopez said this formation was further toward the Texas area, so Lea County may not get the brunt of it.
“We have another little boundary down to the South,” Lopez said. “Luckily right now, it’s further away from Hobbs.”
So, what do residents do? Although the weather is only getting warmer, hail might still be in the foreseeable future.
James Wilson with Basin Roofing & Construction said those who file for repairs should go to a reputable contractor with experience. He said all roofers in Hobbs should be licensed and residents are allowed to request proof.
Wilson also said that before you pay contractors you should check to be sure the job is done correctly.
“Here’s one thing you should never do with roofing and contractors, especially on these hail claims and stuff like that,” Wilson said. “Never give money up front or before they even start the job.”
He said most good contractors have accounts or money to back their projects to ensure the job is handled properly and residents won’t need to pay until they’re finished.
