SPRINGFIELD, MO – It’ll be weeks before the full cost of Tuesday’s hailstorm is calculated. But, the scope of the damage makes it clear the event will go down as one of the most expensive natural disasters in the city’s history- if not the costliest. It’ll easily go into the record books as the one with the highest price tag in nearly two decades.
During the event on Tuesday morning, hail up to 3 to 5 inches in diameter rained down over west and north Springfield and communities to the west, including Republic. Several thousand cars were affected, with damage ranging from broken or demolished windshields to major body dents. Most of those vehicles sustained interior damage due to heavy rainfall following the hail.
In addition to the vehicles, several thousand homes and businesses in the path of the storm received varying degrees of damage, from roof dents to shattered vinyl siding to broken windows…