![Jesse Bryan from Bendigo Denton Solutions assesses the hail-pocked bonnet of a car damaged in the January 2 storm. Picture by Darren Howe Jesse Bryan from Bendigo Denton Solutions assesses the hail-pocked bonnet of a car damaged in the January 2 storm. Picture by Darren Howe](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/166161973/0af08d6f-a6d7-4f6f-a4b9-19a550e3be11.jpg/r0_0_3840_2556_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
While the region was buffeted by strong winds and experienced power outages as a result of the thunderstorm that rolled over the state on Tuesday, there were relatively few reports of major damage.
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By contrast, repairers are still assessing and fixing damage to hundreds of cars and some properties hit by a January 2 storm that dumped hail over parts of Bendigo.
Suncorp Group, which represents several insurers including AAMI, said it had received over 300 claims as a result of the hail storm, the majority relating to car damage.
"The suburbs of Eaglehawk and California Gully were the most heavily impacted according to our claims data," a spokesperson for the group said.
The SES responded to 22 callouts for assistance in Eaglehawk during the evening storm, which also saw emergency services respond to property damage, downed trees and flash flooding incidents in Marong, Maldon and Maryborough as well as around Bendigo.
The RACV had also received "a substantial number of claims, from both vehicle and home policy insurance holders" as a result of the storm.
The majority were from the northern and western parts of Bendigo, with the greatest number from Eaglehawk, California Gully, Maiden Gully and Sailors Gully, RACV head of media and communications Eleanor Colonico said.
"The majority of claims were related to hail, which caused damage to vehicle body work. There was also property damage to roofing and skylights, as well as some water ingress and wind damage," she said.
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In its first week open after the Christmas break, Bendigo's Central Accident Repairs had seen five or six hail-damaged vehicles, and spoken to the owners of several more.
Some of the damage was "fairly extreme" and would "pretty much require the whole car to be repaired and repainted," a staff member said.
The damage bill in cases where "every panel pretty much needs to be repaired or replaced" could be as high as $20,000.
Jacob O'Toole from Martin Smash Repairs, whose own car was damaged in the storm, had seen a couple of fairly badly damaged vehicles, one of which dent repairers thought they could repair for around $7,500.
Mr O'Toole explained that dent repairers use a tool similar to a suction cup to remove dents but pass on panels they can't fix to smash repairers to panel beat or replace.
Jesse Bryan from Bendigo Dent Solutions said the business had seen well over 100 hail damaged cars, with the worst impacted vehicles from around Eaglehawk and Maldon.
Suncorp urged anyone affected by the storm to contact their insurer as soon as possible while the RACV recommended people review their home and contents insurance coverage heading into the new year.
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