Hail Hammers Metro Car Dealerships

The Governor has declared a state of emergency Wednesday night, as many Oklahomans deal with the aftermath of severe weather and hail damage that spread across the state Tuesday evening. And in that aftermath car dealerships find themselves among the hardest hit.

Some of the most impressive hail damage can be seen by the lack of back windshields at car lots on Memorial Road in the metro. The glass is completely gone in some and others look like someone took a shotgun to them.

Four car dealerships News 9 visited have cars and trucks with similar hail damage. Now they're left to put plastic and tape over the cars and try to keep more weather out. Bottom-line, when it comes to severe weather in Oklahoma, dealership employees say there's not much they can do.

5/30/2012 Related Story: Gov. Fallin Declares 'State Of Emergency' For 35 Counties

"This is our 'no glass package' that Mother Nature provided us," Bob Howard Chevrolet, New Car Manager Grant Ransom said jokingly.

Ransom and the guys at Bob Howard tried to get as many cars undercover as they could, but the storm pounded their car lot and even Ransom's arm.

"I'm not going to complain about it, but I got hit," he said showing News 9 a bright red mark.

Insurance adjusters came out Wednesday and looked over all of the many cracks, holes and broken lights on dozens of cars on the lot. The hailstorm did not spare a single vehicle on the lot.

"It somewhat looks like a warzone, not making light of the war at all, but it's hail-damaged cars everywhere," Edmond Hyundai General Sales Manager Phil Wartley said.

5/20/2012 Related Story: Northwest OKC Apartment Complex Damaged In Storms

Edmond Hyundai took a similar beating.

"Insurance claim, tighten up the cars as much as we can and sell them," said Wartley.

Wartley says they'll have one "hail of a sale," but even this car salesmen says he may be out of some money when it's all said and done.

"I just bought a new car for my son yesterday and his got damaged," he said. "It is what it is."

Edmond Hyundai says they're looking at a $1-million insurance claim for all the damage to cars and trucks there. Both lots are anxious to have hail sales. They say they may not recover all the time or money because of the storm, but their customers will reap the benefits.