Residents of Hays County are facing a series of setbacks as they to try recover from a recent severe hailstorm that has resulted in widespread damage to vehicles, homes, and local businesses. As reported by CBS Austin, the hailstorm, leaving hail the size of baseballs, has impacted individuals like Sean Sierra, who described the harrowing experience as his house being "hit by baseball bats." Sierra further prepared for subsequent storms, telling CBS Austin, "I went down to the store and bought the tarp for my truck because that is my livelihood. That is how I get to work."
Complicating the recovery efforts, more storms on Monday interrupted the clean-up process. In the wake of the natural onslaught, further rains are only hampering the urgent repairs needed across the county. Gina LaRoche, another resident of the Henly RV Park, recounted her ordeal with the storm to CBS Austin, "As I was going from my Jeep into my little casita, I just had to make a run for it because the hail was just dropping all over."
In Wimberley, nearly 20-year resident Gale Wiley expressed his fear during the storm, recounting to KVUE that it "sounded like someone was hammering on the roof." Wiley canceled a planned trip to New York, opting instead to address the damages that include dented vehicles and blown-out windows. Billy Pattison of Infinity Roofing & Siding, also a Hays County resident, indicated the extent of the damage in his neighborhood, telling KVUE, "I would say that probably 90% of the homes in the neighborhood are going to be damaged."
The collective sentiment in the storm-stricken community is one of urgency mixed with resilience. Recovery efforts are expected to quickly ramp up as the forecast shows clearer skies ahead. Despite the damages and the temporary setbacks caused by additional rainfall, no reports of injuries have emerged in the aftermath of the storm. As residents and workers like Pattison continue to survey and repair the hail-damaged areas, Hays County looks to slowly rebuild and, perhaps to only hope to be better prepared for the next storm.
