Staff WriterMay 16, 2016; Severe storms bring a myriad of damaging impacts, and hail can be one of the costliest. A recent hailstorm in San Antonio, Texas, proved to be the costliest in the city's history. More than $1 billion in damage was reported, the Insurance Council of Texas reported. Hail as large as baseballs pelted over a hundred thousand cars, racking up damage claims. Cars out in the elements are one of the most susceptible pieces of property, and for some, their most valuable. "Look at what people are paying for cars these days," Darren Huggins, National Collision director said. "If they don't own a home, it's the single biggest investment they've made. And they want to protect it." Following severe storms that struck Texas and the southern Plains in mid-April, social media was littered with images of mattresses, blankets, bubble wrap and other makeshift materials fastened onto all kinds of vehicles with the intention to prevent any severe hail damage.

Layers of blankets were enough to protect the sunroof of this car during a recent severe storm in San Antonio, Texas. While the unique methods of protection may have been inventive, there's no telling how effective a blanket can really be against a powerful storm, experts say. The top surfaces of the car such as the hood and roof are the most vulnerable in terms of potential hail damage, Huggins said. Most modern cars use tempered glass for the windshield, and "it's going to take pretty severe hail to penetrate that," he said. Damage to the body of a car can also be the most expensive to fix. Sam Sarkisian, president of the Autobody Association, said repairs can run anywhere between $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the damage. RELATED: AccuWeather severe weather center5 essential safety steps to take before severe weather hits2 killed after tornadoes plow through central US If hail hits the car but does not fracture the paint, the repair cost will be much lower, Huggins said.

Technicians can work from under the panel to massage out the dent rather than needing to do any replacement work. Taillights can also be a costly fix, he said. A car owner in Texas used blankets to protect his already hail-damaged vehicle during a severe storm. State Farm spokesperson Dave Phillips said the average hail claim in 2015 ran just under $3,500. Texas had the highest number of hail claims in the U.S. with more than 23,000. For those wanting to get creative, Huggins said anything that could cushion the blow from hail is worth trying. "Try using a tarp, blankets, even a sleeping bag might do the trick," he said. "But it's most important to protect yourself first." Huggins urged car owners not to go outside during severe storms. If already driving, seek a covered area to wait out the storm. The windshield of this car belonging to an employee of the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield, Mississippi, awaits towing Thursday, March 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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NEWSLETTERS Receive the latest stories updates in your inboxThe Wylie Independent School District says it plans to reopen its schools Wednesday, two days after severe thunderstorms left damage across several areas in North Texas Monday.All of the district's 19 schools were closed Tuesday. The majority had broken windows and water damage, much of which the district began repairing as soon as the storm ended. A cost estimate of repairs has not yet been released.NBC 5 Forecast: A Few Showers Possible MondayAlong Springwood Drive, where Aikin Elementary School was hit hardest, several residents also suffered a similar fate.The Wylie ISD canceled classes Tuesday. A district statement says educators were not able to provide a safe learning environment due to "significant" storm damage.Wylie Family Has Story of Survival, RecoveryNo damage estimate was immediately available following storms late Monday that hit Wylie, which has more than 14,000 students on 19 campus.Tips to Help You be Safe When Driving in Stormy WeatherMany in the Wylie community are coming together to help each other.

Brothers Blaine and Jack Winn spent much of their day off from school Tuesday helping Sherry Sanders and her sister clean up."When she answered the phone and said somebody is coming out to help it was like, 'Oh thank God, thank God,' because I didn't really know what we needed help with. There was too much," Sanders said.Wylie Residents Clean Up from Damaging HailFirst Baptist Church in Wylie has created a form online for those who need help and for those who would like to volunteer to help coordinate efforts.Hail Facts from the National Weather Service"All the front windows were busted out. It was all water just coming down from the roof," said homeowner, Amber Payne.Payne's entire street had signs of some kind of damage. Once the rain and hail subsided, many tried to quickly board up winds and cover open areas with tarp, in the event bad weather should hit again.Your Hail Photos - April 11, 2016"It pretty much just tore the roof right off. I was actually thankful to see we had 2/3 of it still on," said business owner, Chris Feinhals.After the hail hit, Feinhals returned to work to assess the damage.

Pieces of his roof landed in a nearby shopping plaza. He expects the replacement costs to total $100,000.Families Try to Recover From Monday's Severe WeatherEven those who would normally be fixing the damage for customers faced their own repairs. Servpro of Farmer's Branch found several of their cars lost windows in the storm-a first for the company."Everybody comes out and just kind of looks around and goes, 'Lord, what happened?'" said owner, John Mondy. "We haven't been to sleep in probably 36 hours."Your Storm Photos - April 11, 2016It was more of the same in other parts of town. Those who live on Rail Tree Drive said you had to see it to believe it."It was baseball-sized," said Rebecca Buxton, as she looked at the shattered back window of her car. "And I used to hear that as a kid and think, ha ha ha, those people don't know what baseball-sized hail is, but they were as big as a baseball!"The hail made yards look snow-kissed in April. The Olsen brothers shoved it off their driveway after their baseball game was canceled because of the baseball sized hail."

It was pretty intense," said David Olsen, looking at his dented rental car.Storms, Hail Damage Parts of North TexasOlsen's own truck was in the shop being repaired from the last hail storm, just two-and-a-half weeks ago."I guess that's one of those times you should have bought that $14-a-day insurance. You get the rental car and you always decline because you don't think you're going to need it," he laughed. Large Hail Damages Wylie SchoolThe top-floor windows of his home were shattered by hail. A couple of them smashed his 50-inch TV. "I guess my son is not going to be able to play Minecraft tonight," Olsen joked.Many on Rain Tree Drive just had insurance adjusters out from the last storm. They know this might not be their last brush with severe weather this season.Hail Leaves Its Mark on North Texas"Don't worry about the things you can't control," Olsen said with a smile. "Just control the things you can."Several Collin County neighborhoods were still without electricity late Monday because of the storm.

Hail Crashes Into Living Rooms in WylieNelson Graves said his wife and two children were sitting in their living room when hail came crashing through their roof and ceiling."Through the attic, through 5/8-inch sheet rock, and then hit the floor and you still have this size left," Graves said, holding a golf-ball sized piece of hail.Hail Storm Sends People to ER for HelpHis neighbor's house is in even worse shape. The ceiling is caved in and daylight could been seen through several spots in the roof where hail crashed through."I've been in Texas almost 34 years and that's probably the most devastating hail I've ever seen," Graves said.Graves said he met with his insurance adjustor, who totaled out his roof from last month's storm just five hours before Monday's storm hit.Some Wylie residents filled a free-standing emergency room with minor injuries after Monday's hail storm.Most of the injuries involved cuts from broken glass, but the storm left many shaken.Sara Carrea brought her 8-month-old daughter, Addison, to see a doctor after she was covered in glass in her car seat when the windows of the vehicle they were in shattered in the storm."