Behold the destructive force that is hail. 

I’ve written several times in the past about just how much havoc hail can wreak on a community. On average, hail causes about $1 billion worth of damage each year. 

While a hailstorm can strike any time of year in Texas, we’re currently in peak storm season. So, you can count on plenty more of these types of stories over the next few months.

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However, today’s story is unlike anything I have ever shared before. 

The majority of the videos I’ve come across on social media in the wake of a storm show communities being pummeled by large hail, like this one here. But the clip I came across today shows the aftermath of a hailstorm that destroyed thousands of acres of solar farms in Damon, Texas. 

The storm hit back on March 16, but the footage of the destroyed solar panels is only just now making the rounds online. The biggest concern is potential chemical leakage from the panels, according to The Daily Caller. 

However, Rice University physics professor Ramamoorthy Ramesh, an expert in solar panel production told ABC 13 that even though the panels were damaged, there are several layers of protection in place to keep the chemicals from leaking.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

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