Damage estimates from Posen hailstorm continue to rack up;

An insurance adjuster from Lansing, while examining damage at St. Casimir Catholic Church caused by the hailstorm of 2004, said it is about the worst he has ever seen in Michigan. The storm that hit the village of Posen, as well as the general vicinity, had hail stones as large as two to three inches in diameter pummel roofs, crops, siding, and smash through thin windows.

The hail started to fall shortly before 6 p.m. July 13, and continued for 22 to 28 minutes, according to witnesses. The destruction will keep contractors busy the remaining warm months of 2004 and into next year. St. Casimir Church officials have been told they more than likely will need to replace the roofs on five buildings, including the large church structure. The only building that didn’t receive significant storm damage was a small barn. Church officials stopped counting the holes in the church roof when they got to 300. These were holes where the hail went all the way through and holes had to be patched.

Skylights and older windows did not survive on the St. Casimir School building. Secretary Joan Chappa said no estimates have been made available.

WOZNIAK INSURANCE of Posen has received 290 claims since the storm. Their customers are getting estimates, and in some cases are being told it’s going to be a couple of months before the materials would be shipped. Insurance agent Donna Couture said she has never experienced anything like this before. “This is something catastrophic,” she said. Larry Sawasky, business manager at Shafto’s Greenhouse, said this is the first hail damage during the 45 years the Posen business has been in operation.

Shafto’s estimates will exceed more than $50,000. Sawasky said of 4,000 two-by-two-feet window panes, 1,000 were broken out. “The others must have been missed,” he said. The cost of replacing the glass, which has been ordered, is about $40,000. Shafto’s had $6,000 of product damage and $8,000 to $9,000 of damage to four greenhouses. There’s also a danger to staff, as 12,000 square foot of greenhouse space has dangling glass which will have to be repaired from the outside. Nobody from the greenhouse was injured.

ONE OF THE highest claims may come from the Posen Consolidated Schools, where shingles on the roof received extensive damage. The insurance adjuster told superintendent Dennis Stratton some shingles looked as if they had been shot at. It was somewhat a surprise to Stratton because the roof looked in fine shape from ground level. He was told that some of the hail “went all the way through the shingle,” Stratton said. The preliminary estimate for shingle replacement was between $150,000 and $200,000. The roof was constructed during the building project eight years ago.

FARMERS HAD more than buildings to be concerned about. Richard Strzelecki, who has a farm north of Posen, had between $60,000 and $80,000 in produce

destroyed. Strzelecki had tomatoes and green peppers “beat down to nothing,” and nearly half of the 33,000 head of cabbage ruined. The estimate doesn’t count the $28,000 in damage to structures on his Darga Highway farm complex. Strzelecki said he had no crop insurance for this type of damage and will be seeking disaster assistance if it becomes available.

ERWIN STYMA, SR. said about 200 acres of potato plants were damaged, some of which had leaves ripped right off, but “the jury is still out,” he said. Styma said some leaves are regrowing and many of the plants are recovering.

“We won’t know the extent of damage until the fall,” Styma said. “We’ve never experienced anything like this before so we’re not sure how to handle it.” It’s safe to say not many people from the Posen area have gone through something like this, or ever wish to again.