HITCHCOCK, Texas -- Cars and property were damaged as large chunks of hail fell from the sky in the town of Hitchcock Tuesday night as severe storms moved through the area. Now town resident are faced with a double whammy because many do not have home or auto insurance to help them recover.
Right after the storm swept through overnight Tuesday, Sonia Mendoza discovered the back window of her car had been punched out by baseball-sized hail. Her stereo system was ruined. Windows of her mobile home were busted out and her kitchen had caved in. Neither her car, nor her home was insured and most of her possessions have been lost.
She moved to another mobile home on Friday.
I'm just getting pots and pans and stuff like that that didn't get wet so I can take to my other trailer, Mendoza said.
Kinda sad cuz there is a large percentage of people who do not have insurance and I think a lot of it came out of the Katrina storm and Ike, and a lot of them cannot afford it anymore, said Stanley Miller, an experienced adjustor and long-time Hitchcock resident.
Many said they never saw hail like what fell in Hitchcock, and they don't expect to see it again in their lifetime. While some said they do not plan to get insurance, others said they simply cannot afford insurance for their dwellings.
If I would ve had full coverage the truck, on the blue books I wouldn't got enough to get me another truck, explained Craig Cloud, who said he has no plans to buy full coverage now.
But some experts said any vehicle you own should have full coverage. Otherwise, if it is a total loss, you will have to come up with money for something else to drive.
As for Sonia Mendoza, she is moving out and moving on as best she can.
For more information on auto insurance in Texas, contact the state insurance consumer line at: 800-252-3439 or click here.
