MACCLENNY, Fla. – Repair shops in Baker County were packed Wednesday after hail damaged hundreds of cars.
But if your car was among those damaged, you may want to hold off on filing a claim with your insurance company.
Drivers across Baker County clenched as they witnessed rock-hard hail banging down on their cars Tuesday.
Even though the storms moved quickly through the Northeast Florida area, Mother Nature left its mark: dents covering cars from front to back.
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"(The cant rail) is normally the hardest part of the car, it doesn't fold in a lot. And you can see the damage here and here," said Kirk Miracle, owner of Miracle Automotive and Truck Service Center in Macclenny. "That's some pretty good-sized hail to do that kind of damage."
Miracle's shop had a lot full of cars during the storm.
"Just about every car on the lot had damage to it," he said.
Gumball- to golf ball-sized hail pelted vehicles in Baker County during Tuesday's storms, even leaving Baker County Sheriff's Office vehicles with visible dents and damage.
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Griffin shared this massive hail stone that was found in Macclenny.Lorrie Matthews shared this sighting of quarter-sized hail stones reported Tuesday.Sarah shared this photo of golf ball-sized hail that fell Tuesday in Macclenny.Hail stones pelted a number of vehicles in Baker County during Tuesday's storms, leaving several of them including a Sheriff's Office vehicle with visible dents and damage.Hail stones pelted a number of vehicles in Baker County during Tuesday's storms, leaving several of them including a Sheriff's Office vehicle with visible dents and damage.Hail stones pelted a number of vehicles in Baker County during Tuesday's storms, leaving several of them including a Sheriff's Office vehicle with visible dents and damage.Hail stones pelted a number of vehicles in Baker County during Tuesday's storms, leaving several of them including a Sheriff's Office vehicle with visible dents and damage.Here's what the ground looked like after hail started falling Tuesday in Macclenny. Thanks for sharing, Stella.Check out this massive hail stone Angie shared from Bryceville.Brittany shared this handful of hail stones that fell near her in Fernandina Beach.Jonathan Stacey saw these hail stones at the Baker County Fairground in Macclenny.Jonathan Stacey saw these hail stones at the Baker County Fairground in Macclenny.Gator Girl shared this photo of hail on the ground in Fernandina Beach.The National Weather Service shared this photograph of one-inch hail stones that fell in Dixie Union in northern Ware County on Tuesday afternoon.Justin Sanders showed off how much hail stones blanketed the ground in Macclenny amid Tuesday's storms.Lt. Col. Derick Cooper holding a sizeable hail stone that fell at the Florida Air National Guard militarybase near the Jacksonville International Airport.Thanks to DKatsacos for sharing this picture of quite the hail collection.Dietz shared this photo of quarter-sized hail that fell in Glen St. Mary.Dave Pilkington shared these images of quarter-sized hail falling Tuesday in Glen St. Mary.Dave Pilkington shared these images of quarter-sized hail that fell Tuesday in Glen St. Mary.
Griffin shared this massive hail stone that was found in Macclenny.
"Large and loud, and it was hard and covered the ground pretty fast," Sheriff's Office Maj. Randy Crews said. "Witnessing it hit the vehicles and how hard they were bouncing off the ground, I had a good idea that we were going to be looking at a lot of vehicle damage."
If your car was damaged by hail, there are some things mechanics advise you to figure out before you rush to the repair shop.
First, you need to take photos of the damage. Mechanics told News4Jax that dents from hail could cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars to repair, depending on the car.
If you have comprehensive insurance, you're covered. But before you think about filing a claim, get an estimate on repairs. Minor damage isn't worth claiming if repairs cost less than the deductible.
Since the damages were caused by natural events, it typically won't increase your insurance premium. But you should check with your agent to make sure.
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