BELLEVUE, Wis. (NBC 26) — This week, hail fell in areas including Outagamie and Winnebago Counties.
"We're seeing everything from the little pea-sized to big, almost half-inch," State Farm Agent Shawn Dockry said.
Those ice chunks can cause significant damage.
"Denting a lot of cars, a lot of broken windshields," Dockry said.
State Farm reported over 400 home and auto claims in Wisconsin after Tuesday night's storm. Dockry says most of them came out of the Fox Valley.
"A lot of people aren't gonna see that damage because hail doesn't show as much as wind," he said. "So hail is gonna be a little bit harder to see."
The Green Bay and Oshkosh-based insurance agent advises those affected to get estimates from proven contractors.
Bellevue roofing CEO Paul Saharsky says his company is still reeling from October weather.
"This hail storm is causing the phones to ring once again," he said. "Just drive around any neighborhood and you'll several shingles missing, shingle wind damage. Things like that seems to be quite common."
Saharsky says H and S Roofing's busiest time usually comes in the spring.
"Small hail does not necessarily mean your roof is damaged," he said. "The larger golf-ball-size hail, that's the stuff that causes the most damage."
With 22 years in business, he's found hail can reduce how long some parts of a home can last.
"One or two shingles missing from your roof won't cause it to leak, but that the roof's way of saying it's getting close," Saharsky said. "You might want to think about replacing me in the near future."
Even though April storms may cause damage to a house or car…
"Fortunately this is something that doesn't normally end in loss of life," Dockry said. "But when those storms do come, you want to be well-informed and be prepared for that."
If you hire a contractor, State Farm saysyou should not let them file a claim on your behalf. Agents advise Northeast Wisconsinites to get multiple written statements from any recommended repair companies.
They say you shouldn't pay for all the work until it's completed.
