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Valley residents deal with insurance claims from hail damage

Valley residents deal with insurance claims from hail damage
1 year 7 months 3 weeks ago Sunday, April 30 2023 Apr 30, 2023 April 30, 2023 4:45 PM April 30, 2023 in News - Local

While Friday night's storm caused damage all over the Rio Grande Valley, some Valley residents are still trying to repair the damage from the previous week's severe weather.

"When I went into HEB, I could hear it falling on the roof, and it was already too late. When I walked outside, it was thundering, raining, falling hail, and it was already too late. The damage was already done," McAllen resident Julio Mercardo said.

Hail damages are just some of the issues Valley residents are dealing with this week. 

"I was worried because it's a brand-new car. I was devastated, you know what I mean, but I can always repair it," Mercado said.

Local auto technician, Jared Zuniga, said storms last week kept him busy.

"Man, I've seen all types of damages come in. From small dents, to three or four on your hood, to totally just your whole hood, it would look like a golf ball," Zuniga said.

The first thing you should do when you experience hail damage is file a claim with your insurance to figure out the cost.

"Insurance is going to tell you that you have to take it to a body shop or a shop, get an estimate, and then from there we can see what happens. We take two to three hours to do a full estimate," Zuniga said.

Mercado plans to pay himself instead of going through insurance.

"Because the deductible is high, and he's going to ask me less than the deductible," Mercardo said.

Auto deductibles usually start from $250 to $2,000.

Now is the time to look over both your car and home insurance not just for hail, but other protections, including flooding, because hurricane season is approaching on June 1.

"It does take 30 days for it to take effect, so it's very important if they want to purchase it to purchase ahead of time," CND Insurance agent Nubia Guerra said.

If you are one of the thousands of people dealing with damages after several storms this week, take a look at your insurance policy to make sure you're covered as the rainy season approaches.

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