Severe hailstorm strikes Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa hail

A severe storm in the Route 66 town of Santa Rosa, N.M., produced hail the size of golf balls and in such quantity that the city was forced to use snowplows to clear its streets, according to varying media reports.

The Facebook page of the Guadalupe County Communicator, based in Santa Rosa, was the first to report and post photos on the storm shortly after it struck Wednesday evening. One image showed a car with accumulated hail halfway up to its wheels on Route 66.

Communicator publisher and reporter M.E. Sprengelmeyer described it in his story as a “once in a lifetime” storm that “left countless homes and businesses with major roofing damage.” One excerpt:

Many car ports collapsed, neon was shattered at landmark Route 66 diners throughout the city, and residents and businesses reported their buildings flooded with several inches of water from roof and ceiling failures as the thick layers of hail began to melt.

The storm started about 6 p.m. and continued for 20 minutes. A National Weather Service meteorologist who talked to Guadalupe County’s emergency manager late Wednesday reported no injuries, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The Amarillo Globe-News posted a slide show of the storm’s aftermath.

Here’s a YouTube clip with photos and video:

(Photo via the Santa Rosa Police Department)

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