Is the July 11, 1990 Denver hailstorm a hoax?

[Tim Vasquez]

I've found a widely-circulated fact on the Internet that says the costliest hailstorm in history struck Denver, Colorado on July 11, 1990. The strange thing is that all of the sites that mention this seem to quote the same statements and facts, without any original source and with remarkably few details.

I've gone to the Texshare newspaper databases, to back issues of Weatherwise, to the Seattle Post and Washington Post and my searches do not pull up anything regarding such a hailstorm, much less one that caused a half billion dollars in damage.

I figure if anyone can vouch for this hailstorm, someone ought to know about it here. What do you think?

Tim

EDIT - Deleted that I searched the Denver Post -- their online search only goes back to 1993.

 

[Tim Samaras]

'Vouch for it?'

Yep, I sure can. Destroyed every vehicle that sat outside at the University of Denver campus parking lot. Wiped out untold number of roofs including mine.

Folks at the DEN NWS said it was a miracle the storm didn't produce a tornado (as I recall correctly)

Certainly not a hoax.

Tim

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Thanks Tim -- I think maybe I need to search a wider set of newspapers. I'm kind of perplexed that this event was so poorly covered outside of Colorado, as usually I can find AP and Reuters reports on hailstorms.

Tim

 

[jason kissam]

have you tried the rocky mountain news ?

here are some things i found:

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2002/alm02jul.htm

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0804_030804_largesthailstone.html

hope this helps

 

[Mike McDonald]

The daily history from NWS Boulder regarding the storm is here.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/include/his.php?month=JUL&dayOfMonth=11

Mike

 

[Carey Walton]

That storm was certainly real! I was in Westminster at the time, and was barely able to save the vehicle from total destruction. That storm really tore the place up over a vary large area and I'm sure the insurance companies remember it well.

 

[jason kissam]

go figure most of the colorado chasers chime in on this one. i have found pictures i took in colorado springs that same day awesome squall line. picture soon.

 

[Rob Herman]

http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov reports 60 injuries due to hail in Jefferson County, CO on that date.

 

[Bryan Putnam]

We had to get our roof repaired, but fortunately that was it. Our neighbors lost a lot of windows. We also only had one car and put it in the garage.