Living in the Midwest gives you a certain feeling of awe storms. They are magnificent displays of what nature can do and how interesting life would be if we lived outdoors full time. In Minnesota, we see major storms all the time, but that doesn’t deny the stress induced headache for anybody who owns a nice car when they hear the word “hail.”
There are some ways to keep your vehicle safe from a storm, like living with a garage or frantically scanning weather radars and driving to the nearest parking garage when the weather gets going. That doesn’t always work, though, and sometimes you have to accept the fact that it might hail. There are approximately 3,000 hail storms in the United States a year, which cause a massive amount of damage to various properties. Oftentimes, our homes and vehicles suffer extensive damage, but don’t get repaired.
If you were a part of the recent storms in the Metro area, you know that these storms are no joke. They can shatter windows and give concussions if you are struck with a large piece of hail. It’s possible to get caught out in a storm while inside your vehicle. If this happens, try and find a parking garage nearby or something to park under. Cover the eyes of anybody inside the vehicle with a cloth and try to get as low as possible. Do not leave the vehicle while the hail is falling. If small children are inside the vehicle, use your body to shield them in case of potential broken glass.
As with any dent, ignoring the issue and allowing it to sit can make it worse. After a hail storm, it’s important to inspect your vehicle for damage. You can contact your insurance and let them know you were in a storm, and if you don’t know where to bring the car, they will either direct you where to take the vehicle or have an agent write you an estimate. Hail is typically repairable with PDR or paintless dent repair. It’s an effective way of removing dents slowly, to avoid the hefty costs of repainting panels.
If dents sit for long periods, weathering and sun can cause the paint to crack. If the paint on a dent cracks, it can no longer be repaired via PDR. These small cracks can allow water in, which leads to rust. PDR is a great way of removing these small and sometimes numerous dents while saving money and time. If you have a dent you’d like repaired, let us know and we can get you an estimate. As the best local collision facility in Oakdale, Minnesota, we stand by our promise to make sure you are comfortable through the entire process of repairing your vehicle. We work hard to restore your vehicle to pre-accident, or in light of recent events, pre-storm condition!