Residents in the City of Freeport were caught off guard by a recent hailstorm, the first they’ve experienced since 2017. The storm brought heavy rain and quarter-sized hail, causing damage to homes in the area.
One resident from Scioto Mills described the intensity of the storm, saying, “I mean it was so bad, my roof took quite the beating during the storm last night, and the worst part was the hailstorm didn’t even last that long, it was like five to ten minutes. I got a ton of damage to my roof.”
Marjorie Wilson, a worker at a local gas station, shared her experience of being caught in the storm. She recalls how it suddenly got dark, and despite her hopes of making it home before the rain started, she was unable to escape the downpour. “It started pouring down and the hail was hitting the roof of the car like ‘BANG, BANG,’ it was like it was going to break the glass or the windshield.”
While Wilson was fortunate enough to not have any damage to her car, others were not so lucky. Another resident from Scioto Mills who conducted a roof inspection discovered more damage than expected, indicating that repairs could take a while. The damage included shingles, down spot damage, and gutter damage across the roof.
Josh Kostenbader, owner of Midwest Roofing and Concrete, highlighted the rarity of hailstorms in February and expressed surprise at being so busy this time of year. Despite the unexpected workload, he remains dedicated to his customers and expects even more jobs in the coming weeks.
For now, the Freeport community will be working together to restore their homes and recover from the hailstorm’s aftermath.