Roofers, insurance adjusters busy in wake of hail storm

March 29--Two weeks after a historic hailstorm pounded the Upstate, roofers and insurance companies are helping residents recover.

On March 14, a supercell thunderstorm swept across the Upstate with heavy rain, wind and hail. The storm, which developed in Pickens County, pummeled areas like Duncan, Greer and Roebuck with hail.

Don Gilfillan, owner of Roebuck Roofing and Construction, said his company has been working nonstop since the storm.

"We've been getting people calling at night and calling during the day," he said. "This is one of the biggest hailstorms we've ever had. We had it here for like, an hour, here in Roebuck."

Roebuck was especially hard hit.

Gilfillan said residents saw extensive damage to roofs, cars, siding, gutters, window screens and anything left outside during the storm.

"It peeled paint off of houses, it knocked holes in siding, and it damaged gutters," he said. "We're detecting for hail, then adjusters come out and we work behind them."

Rex Cox is the principal owner of Ken Roach Insurance Agency. He said his company has also seen a spike in calls since the storm.

"The majority of folks have just been calling to have their roof looked at to see if it has hail damage," he said.

Gilfillan said he lives near the intersection of highways 221 and 295. The hail fell so thick that the aftermath looked more like a snowstorm than a springtime thunderstorm.

"They had like a foot of hail in their driveways and their yards," he said. "I've never seen it that deep."

Greer and Duncan were also hit hard by the storm. Duncan Elementary School was closed by the damage the building sustained.

Monday evening, the Spartanburg School District 5 board of trustees approved a total of $7,620 in overtime pay for 25 district employees who worked to clean up damage at the school.

Each employee is expected to get a check for $200. The district had to account for benefit-related costs, as well. The money will come from the district's general fund.

Hail penetrated the roof, causing leaks that took out ceiling tiles as water poured into several areas of the school. District 5 doesn't yet have a cost estimate for the storm damage.

"We're still working on the effects of the storm," Superintendent Scott Turner said.

As residents start recovering, both Gilfillan and Cox said local companies are the best resource for homeowners who saw damage.

"We recommend customers call a local roofer and have the roofer come out to assess the damage," Cox said. "That way, they can better indicate if the customers have damage or not."

Gilfillan said Upstate residents should avoid out-of-state companies looking to charge residents more for damage repair. He calls them "storm-chasers."

As a roofer since 1971, Gilfillan said he knew business would spike after the storm. He said it was the worst hailstorm he's seen in his career.

"I knew it. I knew it when I saw it," he said. "I knew it was coming bad for everybody."

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