HAIL NO!

By Wyndi Veigel on Wednesday, May 3, 2023
  • Country Flower and Plant Farm suffered a lot of damage from the onslaught of large hail falling from a storm last week. Courtesy Country Flower and Plant Farm
    Country Flower and Plant Farm suffered a lot of damage from the onslaught of large hail falling from a storm last week. Courtesy Country Flower and Plant Farm
  • Hail plummels a residence on County Road 195 outside Dublin Wednesday, April 26 in a severe spring thunderstorm. The area has already seen an active storm season prior to the start of May, which is typically the worst month for storms. Caitlyn Bell | Courtesy photo
    Hail plummels a residence on County Road 195 outside Dublin Wednesday, April 26 in a severe spring thunderstorm. The area has already seen an active storm season prior to the start of May, which is typically the worst month for storms. Caitlyn Bell | Courtesy photo

    Area hit by large ice stones

    The roar heard on Wednesday, April 26 wasn’t from a tornado but rather baseball-sized hail that walloped portions of the Dublin area.

    According to Daniel Huckaby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, baseball-sized hail, or 2.75 inch balls of ice were reported on the outlying areas of Dublin.

    As the storm went through Eastland County, 3 inch hail was reported, he said.

    By the time the storm reached Waco, the hail had increased to 4.5 inches, approximately the size of a CD or DVD.

    Extensive damage was reported in Waco including windshields, windows and roofs being decimated.

    For many in Erath County, they got lucky only suffering from minor dents and dings. However, for some, including Country Flower and Plant Farm between Dublin and Stephenville on Hwy. 281, the storm represented a tragic evening.

    According to information shared by the owner of the business, the nursery suffered more than $50,000 in damage from the hailstorm including a loss of many roses and trees.

    They will have to replace many of their greenhouses that were broken by the hailstones along with bent medal on garden sculptures and shattered pottery.

    Currently, the nursery has reduced costs on many plants.

    Another storm impacted the surrounding area on Friday, April 28 but missed Erath County.

    “One storm in a week is enough,” Huckaby said. “It has been a pretty active year so far and we just hit our typically most severe month of the year.”

    From Friday’s storm, there was small hail to golf ball sized hail reported in Coryell County.

    Erath County Emergency Manager Chris Brooks said there have not been any structures reported as uninhabitable though there are reports of damage to cars and roofs.

    Trenton Hunt with Texas Farm Bureau said as far as claims for the area, they have seen 40-50 claims for structures and vehicles, so far.

    “This was nothing like the 2015 storm,” he said.

    This storm actually hit on the eight year anniversary of the storm that decimated the area with 4.25 inch hail on April 26, 2015.

    Hunt said the storm was more localized with the hardest hit areas being DeLeon, from Dublin to Stephenville and Duffau.

    “It missed the heart of Dublin and the heart of Stephenville,” he said.