Phoenix, Arizona: North Phoenix Neighbors Clean Up After Hail Storm Smashes Windows, Cars and Roofs

Residents in north Phoenix spent Thursday, October 22, cleaning up broken glass, clearing fallen trees and calling roofers, one day after a severe storm sent golf ball sized hail through windows and across roofs in their neighborhoods.

One homeowner described Wednesday's storm to FOX 10 Phoenix with one word: "Apocalyptic."

What the storm did

The storm hit north Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon, October 21. Near 19th Avenue and Peoria Avenue, hail smashed windows at homes and at a nearby Family Dollar store, left glass across floors, damaged the exteriors of houses and broke multiple car windows, FOX 10 reported.

Christina Gonzales, a Phoenix resident, told FOX 10 there was hail in her hallway about the size of golf balls. "Even the walls were shaking, and then the windows were all rattling," she said. Gonzales said glass shot from a bedroom window down her hallway, the hail peppered holes into the side of her home, and she took cover in a stairway with no windows until the storm calmed down.

Near 23rd Avenue and Cactus Road, one of the hardest hit areas, limbs and leaves were scattered everywhere on Thursday, trees had been pulled out by the roots and large cacti had tumbled to the ground, FOX 10 reported.

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for portions of the Phoenix area, forecasting wind gusts up to 60 mph and golf ball sized hail, according to the Arizona Republic. Many neighborhoods across metro Phoenix saw damaging hail as the storms moved across the Valley on October 21.

The cleanup on Thursday

Jennifer Ball, who lives in the area near 23rd Avenue and Cactus Road, was left with broken windows and hail damage to her car and trailer. "I've lived in Arizona my entire life, and I've never experienced a storm like this," Ball told FOX 10. Asked where to start, she said: "Oh crazy, I don't know what to do about the damage or where to start."

Across the street, a resident named Robert said assessors found his roof would have to be replaced and his car would probably be totaled. Roofing repair companies moved into the neighborhood on Thursday to survey damage, and FOX 10 filmed John Sturos of Ultra Foam Roofing on Robert's roof as the assessments went on.

For many households the hard part on Thursday was the bill, and knowing which company to trust with the repairs, FOX 10 reported.

Part of a wider Arizona storm day

The Phoenix hail was one piece of a severe weather stretch across Arizona. The Arizona Republic's live coverage on Thursday tracked tornado warnings in northern Arizona earlier in the week and flooding that forced the Page school district to cancel classes on Thursday, October 22, after road conditions turned too dangerous for normal school operations.

In north Phoenix, the work now is simpler and slower: glass out of hallways, tarps and roof assessments, and insurance calls, one house at a time.