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ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)-- The massive damage left behind by the hail storm is leading to a massive rush for glass repair companies and auto body shops.
John Cournoyer owns the Old Style Body Shop in Maryland Heights and has been in business for 45 years. He expects business to get really busy, really fast.
He had this response when we asked him how extreme the damage was that he`s seeing: "Pretty bad. I would say some of the older cars are going to probably be totaled. I mean the damage exceeds the value of the car."
In fact, Cournoyer says this is the worst hail storm he`s ever seen in Maryland Heights.
Greg Rice is one of Cournoyer`s customers. His truck got hit hard by the hail. "It just beat every panel on it. I mean the roof, the hood, the side, the doors, the fenders, the rear, even the rear of the tailgate just got beat up," said Rice.
It`s not only body shops. Mobile glass repair companies like Auto Glass Depot out of Fenton are swamped as well.
Bill Purington with Auto Glass Depot tells us he can`t believe the damage done to so many cars by the hail. "It will be non-stop for two, three weeks; just constant going to the warehouse, getting parts; people will come up to you in the lots- hey I need this done; you try and go their part if it`s in stock and you get it put in as quick as possible," said Purington.
Tow truck drivers are also extremely busy getting damaged cars to auto body shops. Cournoyer says if you have a damaged windshield get it fixed as soon as possible not only because of safety but also because there might be a rush on glass and it could be harder to come by soon.
Fox 2 stopped by Auto Glass Now repair shop in Bridgeton where the cars and customers were lined up. Saturdays hail and thunderstorm left many with cracked windshields and dented hoods. Glass is at a premium and wholesale vendors like Pilkington glass saw a 600 percent increase in sales.
'We typically we do 15 to 20 repairs a day now its about 60 to 70 today. Saturday to Sunday when the storm happened our phones have been blowing up constantly," said Auto Glass Now Regional Manager Joe Dills. "The problem is that we didn't get glass until today so we've been bombarded with customers windshields and black glasses needing repair."
Managers say windshield repairs take about an hour and can run anywhere between $150 to 200. They also recommend you drop off your car or have them do the repairs at your home to save time.
Photos by Shawndrea Thomas:
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