From hail damage to cracked windshields, Sunday's storms are causing lots of headaches -- and dents -- for car owners.
CHARLOTTE -- From hail damage to cracked windshields, Sunday's storms are causing lots of headaches for car owners and local body shop workers said they have been extra busy with repairs.
"Right after the storm I went outside and looked at it and it had hail damage all over it and all my other cars in my driveway,” said storm victim Ryan Szekley, and the dents in his trucks were a testament to the power of Sunday’s storm.
Szekley was not the only one with damage to his car either.
"We've probably had 25 to 30 calls between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. this morning [with] a lot of damage,” Turn 2 Collision body shop owner Kevin Schoolcraft explained.
That damage varied depending on the size of the hail.
"The aftermath can be quite severe and costly. Ten to 15 seconds worth of hail damage can take a couple of weeks to get taken care of,” Schoolcraft said, and it can put a dent in your wallet, too.
"Depending on the size of the damage, they come in pennies to 50-cent pieces. They range in price from how deep the dent goes. It can run into the thousands of dollars,” added Todd Smith, a service advisor for Modern Nissan.
But there are some things you can do to keep your car dent free even if you don't have a garage.
"Park it under a tree,” Smith advised. “[But] sometimes you're just out in the weather, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it."
"If you're caught out in it, car washes are an excellent place to try and seek shelter—or gas stations—anything that will give some shelter to the car,” Schoolcraft said.
If you plan on having your car repaired, experts recommend taking your vehicle to a reputable auto body shop for repairs.