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Hailstorm causes damage in Okeechobee

Posted at 11:44 PM, Mar 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-25 07:40:03-04

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. -- Neighborhoods in Okeechobee were pounded by hail Thursday, damaging homes and cars.

Mark Brandel lives in Country Hills Estates where a storm dumped hail for more than ten minutes.

Brandel says he is looking at several thousand dollars worth of damage where hail pulled patio screens from the beams around his pool, and shattered windows on a camper.

WPTV You Reporter pictures showed golf ball sized hail.

"It was bad. It was the worst I'd ever seen," said resident Angela Armstrong.

Armstrong rode her bike around her neighborhood to take in the damage.

"The roads look like a tornado. All the trees and the leaves fell off," Armstrong said.

Hail pierced through a tarp that covers her cars, and dented her son's car.

She's thankful she and her new car weren't at her house during the storm.

"I was at Walmart and I received a call from my son saying 'Mom don't come home' and I'm like 'why not?' You know? He goes 'because if you like your car you won't come home right now'. He goes 'it's hailing out so bad'."

"I just heard a bunch of thuds and I go and look out the window and it's just like golf sized hail. It's the worst I've ever seen here,"Armstrong's son, Brandon Armstrong said.

Residents Thursday night began planning to contact insurance companies and make repairs.

No major injuries were reported as a result of the storm.