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Wicked Weather Wreaks Havoc On Cars Across Md.

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Large hail and strong winds. Tuesday's powerful storms are causing major headaches for some car owners.

Amy Yensi explains the impact on their cars and their wallets.

The storm may be behind us, but for some, the work is just beginning.

A nonstop barrage of heavy rain, strong winds and thunder makes this ride a rough one. Cell phone video shows Tuesday's hail storm at its worst. The driver struggles to keep steady as pellets shoot down from the sky.

"It no lie looked like ice packed snowballs coming down from the sky," said Kelly Idle.

"I've never seen hail this big around," said Alan Idle.

WJZ received pictures from several viewers of the golf ball sized hail that wreaked havoc on cars across central Maryland, leaving windshields completely shattered.

The storm left car panels riddled with craters.

"Up in here where the dents are a lot deeper," said Thomas Kelly, Kelly's Body Shop owner.

The wicked weather--bad for car owners, but good for auto shops.

"We had a couple people call mostly about falling limbs," said Rachel Hicks, Baltimore Body Shop.

Thomas Kelly tries to keep up with the parade of drivers coming in for repairs.

"I haven't sat down or eaten anything today. I'm still delirious. I came to work, and it's just been estimate after estimate," he said.

One car got caught in the storm. It will take five days to repair all 250 dents on it. The owners bought the brand new car just three months ago and now face $4,000 in damages.

"We have good insurance, so it'll all be covered," Alan Idle said.

Experts say if you're driving during a storm, keep a safe distance from the other cars on the road. As for avoiding Mother Nature, well, they can't help you with that.

Some auto shops have hired temporary workers to keep up with demand. They expect to be making repairs through next week.

Auto shop owners tell WJZ this type of damage is rare, but because weather is unpredictable, they recommend drivers find out about their insurance coverage options.

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