People in a small city in northeastern Colorado were busy cleaning up on Tuesday after a storm dropped hail as large as baseballs and golf balls on their community. They used heavy construction equipment and snow shovels to clear ice that piled up knee-deep overnight.
The storm on Monday night in Yuma caused significant damage, including shattered vehicle windshields, stripped siding from buildings, and numerous broken windows. It also brought heavy rain to the city of about 3,500 residents, located roughly 40 miles west of Nebraska. Angie Cordell, a city spokesperson, confirmed there were no injuries reported.
The severe weather coincided with similar conditions in neighboring states, where heavy rain, strong winds, and large hail were also reported. Another round of storms threatened the Midwest on Tuesday.
Hail damaged the window (Via Harry Miller/Shutterstock)
Due to the cleanup efforts, schools in Yuma remained closed on Tuesday. Residents worked on clearing fallen tree branches and leaves knocked down by the storm, bringing them to designated drop-off spots set by the city. The city’s front-end loader was used to remove the hail, according to Cordell.
Curtis Glenn, a trustee at Yuma Methodist Church, described how the hail was still about half a foot deep on Tuesday morning. He mentioned flooding and hail damage to the church, noting that hailstones piled up in doorways and created dams that redirected rainwater into buildings.
Glenn recounted how the storm shattered stained glass windows on the west side of the church, allowing rain inside. Members of the congregation moved the altar, Bibles, and hymnals away from the broken windows to protect them from further damage.
