Late in the evening of March 27, storm clouds dropped large hail across parts of Jefferson City and the surrounding area, leaving a trail of more than $3 million in damage to buildings.
With lumps of ice reaching up to baseball size, damage to vehicles and roofs was inescapable. The following morning, body shops and glass repair businesses were busy with lines out the garage doors of damaged cars.
While repairs to vehicles — which many people need to commute to work or to do errands — started right away, repairs to the buildings in the community are ongoing.
Between March 29 and April 22, Jefferson City issued 217 building permits for hail damage totaling more than $3 million in repairs.
Four permits were issued for commercial properties and 213 for residential. Project costs for residential repairs range from around $4,000 to a few above $20,000. Most fall between $4,000-$15,000.
Jefferson City Building Official Larry Burkhardt said they have been very busy issuing permits to local and out-of-town contractors since the hail storm.
“The roofers have been telling us that there is somewhere around 1,000 structures that have been damaged,” Burkhardt said.
Residential properties took the majority share of the damage, but some commercial properties were hit as well.
Sam’s Club at 849 Stoneridge Parkway was issued a re-roof permit with a project cost of $388,000, and the Walmart Supercenter at 724 W. Stadium Blvd. received a permit for $565,374 in repairs.
Burkhardt said Chili’s Grill & Bar on Missouri Boulevard needs a new roof as well, although a permit had not been issued as of April 22.
Mark Luebbering, building inspector for Cole County, said the county does not require building permits for re-roofing or minor cosmetic damage.
Just after the storm, on April 1, Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin issued an emergency proclamation suspending solicitation of sales door-to-door. All current door-to-door sales licenses were also suspended. This emergency proclamation, along with several others, was extended by the City Council until May 5.
The widespread damage did lead to an increase in door-to-door vendors from roofing and construction companies, said Lt. David Williams, of the Jefferson City Police Department, which can enforce declarations by the mayor.
Williams said JCPD has received calls from residents about door-to-door sales after the storm. If citations are warranted for those breaking the proclamation, Williams said, they would be handled through the appropriate court — the municipal or Cole County prosecutor’s offices.
Business license issues would be referred to the city’s finance department.
In a video message after the proclamation, Tergin said residents don’t need to open their doors to anyone just because they knock.
“I know a lot of us had hail damage, but I urge you to only work with contractors and auto repair that you know and trust,” Tergin said.
A news release from the city following the proclamation reminded residents contractors must have a city business license and building permit.