500 Vehicles in South Dakota RV Lot Damaged by Hail

An RV dealership in western South Dakota says a recent hail storm damaged about 500 trailers and motorhomes, resulting in millions of dollars in damages.

The Rapid City Journal reports the storm produced hailstones ranging in size from a quarter to a grapefruit. The hail hit an area spanning from eastern Wyoming across the Black Hills.

Keith Ness works at the Jack’s Campers RV lot in Piedmont. He says nearly every trailer on the outdoor lot suffered significant damage. Ness and other employees scrambled to replace broken roof vents and cover cracked RV windows with tape and plastic sheeting.

Ness estimates that half of the inventory was new and that many will be a total loss.

Nearby Interstate 90 also saw hail smash windshields and windows on about two dozen vehicles.