Repeated rain worsens severe damage at north Phoenix clinic after hailstorm

PHOENIX - Weeks after a violent hailstorm tore through parts of the Valley, one local clinic is still dealing with extensive damage.

Local perspective:

Outside Sun Pain Management in north Phoenix, a "temporarily closed" sign went up weeks ago and has not come down. The location had to pause business after an October hailstorm, and every time it rains, the damage gets worse.

"It’s uninhabitable right now," Dr. David Towns of Sun Pain Management said.

Storm Damage:

At Sun Pain Management near 19th and Peoria avenues, it is far from business as usual.

"The walls are all gutted. The ceilings are empty. All the ceiling tiles, all the insulations down. We’ve got any equipment that we couldn’t get out of there covered up the best we can to keep it dry. It’s musty in there. You can’t go in there without a hazmat suit and masks," Towns said.

A hailstorm at the end of October dealt the initial blow, with baseball-sized hail punching through the roof and causing flooding throughout the clinic.

Worsening Damage:

However, it was the rain that followed, pouring straight through the exposed ceiling, that sealed the deal.

"That second rainstorm that we had right after the hailstorm flooded the clinic even worse. They’ve had to take down lots more Sheetrock, do lots more drying," Towns said.

Dig deeper:

That is making the slow, costly road to recovery even longer.

"We just need the roof to get done. We need to get State Farm to agree to pay for the roof so we can get the roof done and that’s all we need right now and that’s all I can focus on. As soon as we can get that, then we can fix what’s inside and get patients back in there," Towns said.

Future Fears:

The work to rebuild is complicated by the fear of what the next storm might bring.

"Rainstorm after rainstorm and with the one coming this weekend, I just don’t know when we’re going to get back in there and how much more damage it’s going to have," Towns said.

State Farm spokesperson issues statement

We understand how disruptive storm damage can be, especially for a business that serves patients who depend on its care. We’ve been in contact with our customer and are actively working with them to address their concerns and provide the benefits available under their policy. 

Due to our customer privacy policy, we cannot share details of a claim, but we are and will be communicating with our customer.

What's next:

While Sun Pain Management’s Phoenix location is closed, the clinic is diverting about 200 patients a day to other locations or offering virtual appointments.

Severe WeatherPhoenixNews