Preparing for severe weather: How to keep your car from being damaged by hail

AND I WANT TO BRING IN ��13’S ERIN LLEWELLYN. ERIN, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD GET SOME HAIL, AND THAT COULD BE AN ISSUE FOR SOME FOLKS. YEAH. LISA, THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. BODY SHOP OWNERS SAY THAT NOT BEING PREPARED FOR HAIL COULD BE A COSTLY MISTAKE. THAT’S WHY THEY SUGGEST MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO COVER YOUR CAR. THAT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS A CAR COVER, OR EVEN BLANKETS IF YOU NEED, IF YOU HAVE THOSE LYING AROUND SO YOU CAN COVER YOUR CAR SIMPLY JUST BY PULLING SOMETHING LIKE THIS OVER AND IT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO SPEND UNNECESSARILY. NOW, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE TALKED TO A BODY SHOP OWNER BY THE NAME OF ROBERT PHILLIPS. HE TOLD US THAT DEPENDING ON HOW BIG THE HAIL IS, THAT’S HOW MUCH YOU’RE GOING TO SPEND IS GOING TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH YOU CAN EXPECT. NOW, IF YOU HAVE MINIMAL DAMAGE, IT COULD COST ONLY 100 TO $200. BUT GETTING HIT WITH GOLF BALL TO BASEBALL SIZED HAIL COULD COST AS MUCH AS $1,000. NOW, PHILLIPS, WITH FENDER FIX, SAYS MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE IS HOW YOU SAVE MONEY. THAT MEANS USING COVERED PARKING OR COVERING YOUR CAR WITH MOVING BLANKETS, OR ANY KIND OF BLANKET THAT YOU HAVE. IF YOU CAN. IF YOU DO END UP NOT HAVING ANY OF THOSE OPTIONS, OR IT CATCHES YOU BY SURPRISE MOST OF THE TIME YOU DON’T HAVE TO REPAINT FOR HAIL DAMAGE, WHICH CAN SAVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY. IT’S CALLED PAINTLESS DENT REMOVAL, AND IT’S SOMETIMES AS MUCH OF A QUARTER OF THE PRICE AS PAINTING. AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TYPICALLY KNOCK OUT IN A FEW HOURS. NOW, YOU MAY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR WINDOWS OR YOUR WINDSHIELD. NOW, PHILLIPS SAYS THAT THOSE WON’T BE NECESSARILY ISSUES FOR YOU BECAUSE THESE CARS, THE NEWER CARS, ARE MADE OF MORE THIN METAL. AND SO THAT IS GOING TO CAUSE THE MOST DAMAGE TO YOUR VEHICLE. BUT AGAIN, IF YOU DO HAVE THOSE CONCERNS, MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE IS GOING TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT. LIVE HER

Updated: 2:33 PM CDT Mar 14, 2025

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Preparing for severe weather: How to keep your car from being damaged by hail

Updated: 2:33 PM CDT Mar 14, 2025

Editorial Standards ��

LATEST FORECAST | STATE OF EMERGENCY | STORM SHELTERS | �� 13 LIVE DOPPLER RADAR | UPLOAD YOUR WEATHER PHOTOS | WAYS TO STAY SAFE | GET WEATHER NOTIFICATIONS�� 13 wants you to be aware of the danger a storm can bring, like hail. It’s already causing damage across Central Alabama today. Local car body shops want you to start thinking about preparing now to avoid dealing with damage later.Robert Phillips, the owner of FenderFix, said not being prepared for hail can be a costly mistake. There are ways to avoid spending money unnecessarily, though. He suggests using a car cover, moving blankets or even a regular blanket you may have at home.Phillips said making sure you have a plan in place is how you save money. That means using covered parking if you don’t have anything to cover your car with. Depending on how big the hail is, that’s going to determine how much money you can expect to spend. If you have minimal damage, it could only cost $100 to $200. Getting hit with golf ball-to-baseball-size hail could cost as much as $1,000.Video below: How to get weather alerts from �� 13“If it’s just a few small places, it’s usually more cost-effective just to pay out of pocket because it’s not that much money,�� Phillips said. “But if you do have damage all over your car, most people opt to file a claim with their insurance company if they have full coverage.”You may have concerns about your windows or windshield getting damaged. Phillips said those are less likely to be damaged than the actual body of the car. That’s because the outer parts of most cars are made of thin metal, but making sure you have a plan in place is the best way to protect your car.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

�� 13 wants you to be aware of the danger a storm can bring, like hail. It’s already causing damage across Central Alabama today. Local car body shops want you to start thinking about preparing now to avoid dealing with damage later.

Robert Phillips, the owner of FenderFix, said not being prepared for hail can be a costly mistake. There are ways to avoid spending money unnecessarily, though. He suggests using a car cover, moving blankets or even a regular blanket you may have at home.

Phillips said making sure you have a plan in place is how you save money. That means using covered parking if you don’t have anything to cover your car with. Depending on how big the hail is, that’s going to determine how much money you can expect to spend. If you have minimal damage, it could only cost $100 to $200. Getting hit with golf ball-to-baseball-size hail could cost as much as $1,000.

Video below: How to get weather alerts from �� 13

“If it’s just a few small places, it’s usually more cost-effective just to pay out of pocket because it’s not that much money,�� Phillips said. “But if you do have damage all over your car, most people opt to file a claim with their insurance company if they have full coverage.��

You may have concerns about your windows or windshield getting damaged. Phillips said those are less likely to be damaged than the actual body of the car. That’s because the outer parts of most cars are made of thin metal, but making sure you have a plan in place is the best way to protect your car.

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Preparing for severe weather: How to keep your car from being damaged by hail

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