AUSTIN, Texas — Texas had the most hail damage of any state last year. The National Weather Service reports 508 of the 4,600 hail storms with damage happened here.
It's a costly problem, so we wondered, short of using a garage, if there's anything you can do to prevent damage. We asked the people who know.
Anyone who's had to deal with hail before knows it's not a cheap thing to fix for one car. Imagine if you had 400 cars. You'd learn pretty quick how to prepare.
"It's not something that we want but it's something we'll be prepared for," said Ben Klein, the general manager at Southwest KIA. "Whether it's getting it undercover or just getting it close to the building, whether it's getting it close to tree, there are lots of different things you can do. And we just do the best that we can do to protect our assets."
In the case of Southwest Kia, they have around 400 assets. But they don't have enough space for every new and used car. That's why Klein prioritizes based on the value of the car. Keeping the most expensive ones the safest. His best bet is getting as many cars possible locked up in the garage.
RELATED:
"You're gonna see cars all the way up, and all the way down," described Klein. "Each side, on both sides, in every bay, probably cars underneath cars. So, like I said, I can probably keep a good 100 cars completely safe."
But for those dealing with just one car, using paddings like floor mats or a blanket over glass can help out.
"There are some better things that you can do the more notice that you have. So, if you don't have alternatives, doing something is better than doing nothing," said Klein "You got to be aware and you got to prepare."
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: