North Phoenix residents capture moments inside car during hailstorm
Large hail pounds car in north Phoenix
A mother and daughter filmed golf ball-sized hail shattering their windshield. Widespread damage and dented vehicles were reported across the area. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi reports.
PHOENIX - North Phoenix residents are assessing damage after a hailstorm Wednesday pounded cars, shattered windows and cracked windshields.
What they're saying:
Santa Velazquez and her daughter, Alessandra Ullmer, had just returned from a doctor's appointment and were waiting for the rain to pass before heading inside when the storm intensified on Oct. 21.
"I noticed a big ol' lump of ice on the floor," Velazquez said.
Video recorded from inside their car captured the pair screaming as golf ball-sized hail struck the vehicle, denting its body and cracking the windshield.
"And every time it hit, it just cracked, cracked really bad," Velazquez said.
Ullmer said she feared the windshield would give way.
"I thought it was going to fall down too, so I put my legs up, and I was like, a little scared. But it was definitely scary seeing cracks all over and over each time it hit and just hearing all the thumps. It was very loud, and I'm very loud in the video, but it was very loud outside too," Ullmer said.
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Residents are facing days of repairs after a severe storm left dented vehicles and shattered windows. One family captured the scary moments on video.
Big picture view:
The storm caused widespread damage across North Phoenix, leaving residents with broken windows, dented vehicles and repairs ahead.
Richard Stevenson, a Phoenix resident whose car was also pummeled by hail, said the noise caught him by surprise.
"All of a sudden, I'm hearing boom, boom, boom, boom, boom ..." Stevenson said. "I thought Jesus was throwing baseballs at us."
He said he feared the storm would damage his home, too.
"I thought windows were going to break. I was thinking the ceiling was gonna fall in. Like, it was crazy. I ain't never experienced nothing like it," Stevenson said.
Arizona weather forecast: Severe storms track north through Arizona with hail threat
While severe weather tracked through northern and eastern Arizona, Phoenix saw sunny skies with warm, mild temperatures heading into the weekend.
Looking at the bright side:
Velazquez said she was grateful that she and her daughter were not driving when the hail struck. Although repairs lie ahead, she said their safety was what mattered most.
"This is material. Like my mom says, you know, every negative comes with a positive. So I know there's a positive. I just don't know what it is yet, but there is a positive," Velazquez said.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Santa Velazquez, caught in the hail storm; Alessandra Ullmer, caught in the hail storm; and Richardson Stevenson, a Phoenix resident.