ORLANDO, Fla – Our News 6 viewers shared pictures and videos as a severe storm brought hail to Central Florida Sunday night.
Vicki Higgins, who lives near UCF, filmed her rain barrel overflowing. She says some of the hail stones were the size of golf balls.
“It got extremely loud,” Higgins said. “You could hear everything, and I was actually afraid of the windows breaking more so than the roof.”
The storm also brought rain, wind, and hail to Grayson Smith’s doorstep. Smith says she was reading stories to her grandchildren when the noise caught their attention.
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“We heard bang, bang, bang on the side of the windows,” Smith said. “I told them to pick it up and look at it. That’s the closest thing you’ll see to snow here in Oviedo, Florida”
News 6 saw reports of hail in east Orange County, parts of Lake County, Flagler Beach, and Palm Coast.
It led to a busy Monday for Andrew Peet, the president of Peet Roofing.
“We’ve gotten quite a few calls. Probably around 20 just this morning alone,” Peet said.
Peet says it’s definitely an uptick. Some of his clients called to report screen damage and gutter damage.
He showed News 6 what a typical inspection entails as he walked our crew around one property.
“We spend about 5 minutes, sometimes 10 minutes, take a look around, see if we can find any hail shots on the roof,” Peet said.
Peet says he already saw some damage on one roof he inspected Monday morning. He says there are several factors that can influence the likelihood of hail damage to a home. For instance, the density of the hailstones and speed at which they fall.
“It really has more to do with density and velocity than it has to do with size,” Peet said. “Same thing with a tennis ball verses a BB. If one is shot with velocity at you it’s going to hurt more.”
Wind speed and direction also matter, along with the type and age of a roof.
“I’ve seen it where four houses down there’s been no damage, and then a house four houses down from that is absolutely crushed,” Peet said.
Peet said the homes he inspected Monday had varying amounts of damage. Some had a few gutter dents, while others had holes through the screen and damaged shingles.
“Every roof has to be taken on its own merits,” Peet said.
Peet says if you do want someone to visit your home and take a look, make sure they are licensed and reputable.
“The advice I would give to anybody out there would be to check on any contractors before you have them get up on the roof,” Peet said.
His company recommends these steps:
- Ask to see your contractor’s license(s). A reputable, licensed contractor will have an up-to-date license for work to be performed.
- Ensure they are covered by Workers Compensation Insurance. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to confirm active insurance. This is important as it will protect you from getting sued if a team member is injured on the job.
- Search and verify customer reviews online – especially any complaints from the Better Business Bureau.
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