HITCHCOCK, Texas – After severe weather tore through southeast Texas, bringing baseball- and softball-sized hail with it, residents were left assessing the extreme damage the storm left behind.
In the midst of a powerful storm system, hail pounded Hitchcock, Texas, for around 15 to 20 minutes Tuesday night. The storm damaged roofs, cars, windows, traffic lights, a fire station and homes.
The ceilings of some homes were ripped off during the storm, making them unlivable for residents.
Residents said when the hail started falling, all they could do was watch and wait for it to stop.
Security cameras at different businesses recorded the storm, but they were knocked offline by large pieces of ice.
"The hail was just beating the building to death," said Cat Brandon, whose truck was damaged by the storm. "I looked outside and saw balls of hail as big as tennis balls."
"The car got messed up," said Sonia Mendoza, whose home was also damaged by the hail. "My kids were horrified. They started yelling and screaming, and all the windows were breaking in. It was ugly."
Hitchcock police officers also said several of their patrol cars were damaged beyond repair .At least seven police cruisers have some type of damage but a representative said they will call in help from the county if there is a major emergency.
Two churches along Highway 6 in Hitchcock were also damaged during Tuesday's storm.
The Midway Church of Christ and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church both suffered broken windows and water damage when hail hit the side of the buildings.
"Baseball sized hail fell for 20 minutes," said parishioner Delores Jensen. "I just knew everything would be damaged."
Midway Church cancelled services Wednesday night because of the damage and storm clean up. Services will resume on Sunday.
No one was injured in the hailstorm.
Wharton, Texas