KOTA Territory NewsSoftball-sized hail pounds parts of KOTA Territory

Softball-sized hail pounds parts of KOTA Territory

By Delane Cleveland

For the second time in recent memory, rain pounds Rapid City and the surrounding area, and it wasn't just the rain - softball sized hail pounded the area south of Rapid City near Hart Ranch.

Leaving behind shattered car windows and tail lights, and holes in the roof of several motor homes.

Those affected by mother nature's brief display of fury say it all happened in a span of about five minutes.

"We were sitting here watching it gather over Rapid and boy, here it came and this is the message it gave us," said Elmer Pritchard as he held up a softball-sized piece of hail. "And in so doing it did some damage to the roof of my motorhome and my car and awnings and I'm sure a lot of my neighbors got the same joy I have and now we'll talk to the insurance company."

"I guess, all in all, we're pretty happy that we're still alive and in one piece, but we have a lot of glass and damage to clean up," said Helen Eakins, another victim of the hail damage.

People in the area of the Black Gap subdivision on Highway 79 reported baseball sized hail, while people in other areas report golf ball and smaller hail.