Texas Hail Storm

Since we had such a mild South Texas winter I was able to plant my annuals early and had the whole deck garden done by the middle of March. I left for Austin the middle of April to spend the week helping my daughter finish up her taxes. The night I left our neighborhood had golf ball to baseball size hail and I returned to this dismal scene below.

14 of my flower pots were totally shattered and some of the others damaged as were a lot of the plants. Only the row along side of the house where the red petunias look happy survived the deluge. I was amazed at the damage hail that size could cause in a very short period of time. Two of our family cars were totaled and the other damaged but worth repairing. We were lucky we only had a couple windows broken, our neighbor had ten. Our two skylights shattered and the roof will have to be replaced. Below are some close ups of how much force that ice came down with that shredded six of our window screens.

I was so pleased with how well my patio tomatoes were doing. I've already replaced these and the poor pepper plants.

...and the Marigolds and pot.

I think this purple plant will survive...the pot not.

I think I'll buy a red pot to replant the miniature Christmas tree in that escaped much damage. That should cheer me up.

The stone that hit this one had to have been big because the hole is very deep in the dirt as were a few others. 

I was sad for awhile but these are all material things and can be replaced. My grandson was very sad about his beloved high performance turbo charged muscle car he kept polished like a mirror was totaled, but fate was kind to him. He works at a car dealership, between his college courses, and as luck would have it, right after he started a state wide search for a replacement, a nice dentist traded in one where he works exactly like my grandson was looking for that has been kept clean as a whistle also, with no dings, and grandson seems even prouder of the new silver one than the demolished black one he cherished. It has even more bells and whistles he likes. Seeing him that happy took all my sadness away in a hurry.

I am very grateful no one in the storm area was injured, though every roof in our huge neighborhood has to be replaced...and a lot of windows and car windshields....

and I'm certain flower pots.