Spring weather can change in an instant. Take a few storm systems with high pressure and have them collide with some low pressure and you never know what kind of curveballs Mother Nature will spit out. This is the situation that some people in Abilene, Texas, were recently faced with, when a massive hailstorm attacked the town in late April. So what are the residents doing about it? It’s time for some carports.
According to an article from reporternews, there was enough damage done in Abilene for citizens to start protect their cars with carports:
“ ‘We’d talked about it,’ recalled Sandi Hugg, referring to conversations with her husband, Charles. The couple’s two vintage cars sat in a garage, but nothing protected two other vehicles.Then came the hail on April 24, pounding the couple’s Toyota Tundra — almost totaling it, Hugg said — and Toyota Highlander.
‘Once that happened, we decided it’s not going to happen again,’ she said, and the couple had a carport installed by mid-May. Others in Abilene apparently have been making the same decision, with carport construction spiking in the weeks since the hailstorm.”
The article says that 16 carports have been approved since the beginning of May, with another 4 this month, a definite increase from the 10 permits given out last year. Some carport companies are seeing a large increase in interest and sales, with a distinct type for different halves of the town:
“On average, [one business owner] said he’s installing about three carports each week, including attached carports in town and detached models more popular in rural areas. In the city, detached carports are only allowed in backyards, he said.”
There are other hurdles in Abilene’s zoning laws, but there are special exception permits that allow ways around the bureaucracy. However, those want these exceptions better have deep pockets – there is a $400 fee. Think about it though – this is definitely a look cheaper than fixing up a car. A carport it is!