Widespread repairs continue nearly 2 months after Platteville hailstorm

Contractors in Platteville continue to hammer away at repairs necessitated by a spring hailstorm. On April 18, many community residents woke up to damage and debris. Hailstones, some of which were baseball-sized, damaged cars, windows, siding and rooftops around town. In the two months since, residents have scrambled to get repairs done and contractors have been swarmed with calls. Of the 772 building permits his department has issued this year, city of Platteville Community Development Director Joe Carroll said a vast majority were related to hail damage. The number of permit requests skyrocketed after April 18. The impact of the storm is unprecedented in Platteville. A 2014 tornado caused more “isolated” damage, compared to the hailstorm damage, which was widespread. The last major hailstorm in Platteville was in 2009, which resulted in over 1,000 permits issued, but Carroll said he expected April’s storm to surpass that total.