Hailstorms hitting Front Range in waves

A May 22 hailstorm caused major damage to the siding of houses such as this one in the Green Valley Ranch community. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

Roofers and insurance adjusters are scrambling to keep up with a series of damaging storms that have hammered neighborhoods along the Front Range since late May, including a round that pelted Boulder and northern Jefferson counties Monday night.

"Both lines were ringing" Tuesday morning, said Matthew Rock, owner of Rock's Roofing in Wheat Ridge. "A lot of people are asking us to come out and look at the roof before the insurance company comes out."

Rock, who examined several roofs Tuesday, said the hail hit at a high rate of speed but was mostly marble-sized, which could limit overall damage.

"It has been continuous, storm after storm after storm," said Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.

The storms haven't packed a single huge wallop, but they made up for it in frequency and the claims are adding up.

Insurance adjusters, who need to approve payment for any repairs, can take up to a week to make their evaluation, roofing contractors said.

A light hurricane season and the lack of any major wildfires in the state so far this summer have made it easier for insurers to shift personnel around to deal with the storms.

"We have had to bring in additional resources to help our customers quickly," said Angela Thorpe, spokeswoman for State Farm Insurance, Colorado's largest carrier.

The extra help came after damaging storms hit the state the third week of May and has stayed on as successive waves of wind and hail have rolled through.

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Hailstorms hitting Front Range in waves