KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers downtown Kansas City, Missouri. He also focuses on stories of consumer interest. Share your story idea with Grant.
Residents in Parkville are tallying damage and bracing for lengthy repairs after massive hail - some as large as tennis balls - pounded the area Tuesday.
Rachel Miessler described the storm as unlike anything she expected.
"It was just constant. It was bizarre," Miessler said.
Miessler said she’s still waiting to learn the full cost of her damage to her home and vehicle.
Other homeowners said the size and strength of the hail caught them off guard.
"Looked outside and we had golf ball sized hail coming down … some of them even tennis ball sized," Alex Quaglieri said.
"I mean the damage is, it's a big deal when this stuff happens," Chase Williams, another Parkville resident, said.
Matt Barger, with Priority Roofing, said homeowners should move fast after a storm of this size.
"The sooner you can get it going, probably the better because this was big hail. It can put holes in your roof. It can put holes in metal. And again, this isn't like little pea sized stuff. This is some of the biggest hail we've had in the area in a long time," Barger said.
Barger warned that storms like this often attract out-of-town contractors who move into affected neighborhoods - and that can come with risks. He said having a local representative on your side during the insurance process matters.
"We're trying to work alongside with the insurance company and the adjusters … you still got to have somebody there to represent you through that," Barger said.
He also cautioned that delaying an inspection could allow minor damage to quietly worsen over time.
"It may take a while getting rain through the roof, soaking into your insulation and that sort of stuff, before you realize, like, ‘Oh, I got a big spot on my ceiling,’ you know. So that's why it's good to just get an inspection done," Barger said.
Roofers advise homeowners to review their insurance coverage and get multiple estimates before signing anything. They also recommend working with companies you know - or that come highly recommended - to ensure someone will be available for follow-up once the work is completed.
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