THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 10, 1995 TAG: 9505090118
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Local insurance companies and agents were still taking claims this week after a hailstone whalloping the county took more than a week ago.
The storm followed a path through the northern end of the county between 4 and 6 p.m. Sunday, April 30. From Muddy Cross Road, near the Suffolk-Isle of Wight line, westward across the county, rain pummeled houses and autos for about 30 minutes.
Then the hail came. It lasted only a couple of minutes, locals agree, but the chunks of ice - typically described as the size of a golf ball - did some damage.
``We're still getting claims,'' said Barbara Rippel, office manager/agent at G.F. Walls Insurance Agency in Smithfield. ``I don't know whether people were out of town and came back and found the damage or whether they just didn't look around until they heard everybody else talking about it.''
The hailstones broke windows and auto windshields, damaged roofs and aluminum and vinyl siding, Rippel said. She estimated her agency had processed more than 40 claims from the spring storm as of Monday.
Meanwhile, Clarence Dellinger at Allstate Insurance in Smithfield said his office has handled more than 60 claims for minor automobile damage - dents, broken headlights, broken windshields.
``It's kept us pretty busy,'' Dellinger said. ``It was the most claims that I've handled in a short period of time in the 10 years I've been in Smithfield.''
Window panes on the entire north side of the administration building at Historic St. Luke's Church, near the Benns Church intersection, were broken, church curator Dick Austin said. But the church itself was not damaged.
Autos appear to have been damaged most. Debbie Livesay, co-owner of Charlie's Body Shop on Battery Park Road, said the shop is booked for repairs through the week of June 12. Damage ranged from $1,000 to $4,000 per car, she said.
``I've never seen anything like this, not since I've been here,'' Livesay said. ``The dings were the size of a quarter. . . . All of the hoods and trunks on the cars will have to be replaced because it just takes too long to get all of that out.'' by CNB