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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHail Storm 3/20/05Storms, stones pelt area Large hail pounds parts of south CS By MELISSA SULLIVAN Eagle Staff Writer Large chunks of hail — some bigger than golf balls — hammered south College Sta- tion on Saturday as residents and businesses weathered a series of storms that also lashed them with high winds and more than 1 1/2 inches of rain. Bearing the brunt of one storm were the Woodcreek subdivision and the Kroger shopping center at Rock Prairie Road and Earl Rudder Freeway South. No injuries were reported, but the sudden hailstorm left countless dinged vehicles and damaged roofs in its wake. Viki Boen, a manager at The Cotton Patch near Kroger, said the restaurant lost power for about 30 min- utes, and lightning struck a nearby business sign in the parking lot of the shopping center. "We saw a big, green flash of light and [heard] a loud WS Storms From Al popping sound," she said. "Then the power went out. It was a total blackout." Boen said she grew con- cerned during the storm because the size of the hail- stones continued to increase. At one point, the hail was blowing sideways, and she was sure the restaurant's win- dows were going to break. "It was pelting off cars," she said, adding that hunks of ice smashed the windshields of two vehicles in the parking lot. "It was a scary thing to be outside. I looked out the win- dow, and it looked like snow everywhere." Debra Welch, a Woodcreek resident, said she at first ignored the storm. When she heard pounding on the roof, she realized it was not just rain, but hail. "I looked out into the front yard and saw it everywhere," Welch said. The hailstones were between the size of a golf ball and a baseball, she said. She grabbed her camera to capture the moment, and even stored a hailstone in her freez- er to show the insurance adjuster. Though their vehi- cles escaped being dented — one was in the garage and the other wasn't at the home — the Welches suspect the roof of their house was damaged. Bryan police Sgt. Jackie Maynard said several lights near Wellborn, Finfeather and Villa Maria roads were out for about 10 minutes, and tree debris littered the roadway as the storms moved through. Hail also was reported in Burleson County, and rain was generally heavy across the Brazos Valley. But beyond the hail damage in Brazos County, no other major weath- er- related problems were reported as the storms crossed the region. Paul Lewis, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Houston, said 1.61 inches of rain fell on the Bryan- College Station area after 5 p.m. The service received reports of small stream flooding and a few road closures because of high water. Winds at Easterwood Air- port in College Station reached about 52 mph, but Lewis said there were no reports of wind damage or tor- nadoes. The area can expect a 20 per- cent chance of rain Sunday and a 30 percent chance Mon- day, Lewis said. Welch said she couldn't remember a hailstorm as severe as the one Saturday night. "I don't remember this much coverage on the ground or anything nearly this size," she said. "I hope no other parts of town were worse than this." • Melissa Sullivan's e -mail address is melissa.sullivan@ theeagle.com.