Thursday night's record-size hail, which spread through multiple counties, is expected to result in millions of dollars in hail damage as tens of thousands of area drivers take their vehicles to local auto body and glass shops to repair dents and replace windows.

"Hail damage repairs easily range from around $300 to a couple thousand dollars," said Matt Hope, owner of Hope's Collision and Towing in Tamaqua.Hope and many other auto body shops throughout our area are overwhelmed with phone calls as people push to get their vehicles repaired.Hope pointed out that he will be hiring a few more employees to help handle the expected repairs over the next few months.Most insurance policies cover hail damage, minus the deductible.Hope also pointed out that cost estimates for hail damage vary greatly, as estimates are usually determined by multiple factors, such as how many dents there are per panel, the caliber of the vehicle, access to the dent and so on.