Wednesday afternoon turned into a chaotic scene for residents of an apartment complex near 19th and Dunlap avenues in North Phoenix. A sudden downpour of golf‑ball‑sized hail raged for 10 to 20 minutes, shattering windows, denting cars and damaging doors, walls and shutters.
Eyewitness accounts
Don Batiste, who lives in the complex, described the experience as if “someone came through with a machine gun.” He recalled the thunder rolling in, followed by a “boom” that marked the start of the hailstorm. “My sister’s bedroom took it the most,” Batiste said, noting hail piled on her bed and smashed the glass around her.
Another resident described the windows shaking before they finally gave way: “I heard the rain, I heard the really loud thundering, and the window was shaking, and I’m just staring out the window like, it’s not gonna break. Then boom! It breaks on me.”
Damage across the property
Across the complex, shattered windows were a common sight, and many cars bore dents from the relentless hail. Devin Nailor spent fifteen minutes cleaning glass from his wife’s car, noting that the back windshield was completely gone and the vehicle was covered in dents. “Look around. There they go. Everywhere you can look, you find one all up there, all in the front,” he said, likening the hail to a “cloth over a ball peen hammer.”
In addition to the hail, the storm knocked down tree branches near 31st Avenue and Bethany Home Road and even toppled a tree onto an apartment building near 28th and Peoria avenues.
Community response
Neighbors quickly stepped outside to check on one another. “A lot of people came together,” Nailor observed. Residents expressed relief that the storm did not cause fire or an earthquake, noting that while glass can be replaced, the immediate danger had passed. “At least it wasn’t fire. It wasn’t an earthquake. Glass can be replaced. And we have mops and buckets,” Batiste added.
For many, the worst of the storm is over, but cleanup continues. Nailor plans to replace his windshield, while other residents work piece by piece to clear debris and repair damage.
Wider impact
The hailstorm was part of a larger system that rolled through the Phoenix area, bringing rain and hail to north Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, Mesa and other Valley communities. While the event caused significant property damage in the immediate area, there were no reports of injuries.
City officials have not yet released an official damage estimate, but the community’s swift response highlights the resilience and neighborly spirit that define the Phoenix Valley.
Original reporting: azfamily KTVK/KPHO Phoenix (news) — read the source article.
