“We are going to be faced with a shortage of stock”: after the bad weather, the mechanics overwhelmed

Stéphane Place (at Taillan-Médoc), edited by Solène Leroux 3:59 p.m., June 22, 2022

To repair material damage due to bad weather, insurance companies spend a lot of money: 940 million euros according to France Assureurs regarding the storms at the beginning of June which affected several regions of France.

If there is not yet a figure for the violent hailstorms in Gironde on the night of Monday to Tuesday, the concrete effects are already being felt.

For example, at garages: they are overwhelmed, since many cars have been damaged by hailstones.

Illustration in Taillan-Médoc, in Gironde.

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On most sidewalks and in the streets, in front of houses and at the foot of buildings, you can see debris from optics, glass or even plastic.

A large number of cars bear the scars of this violent storm.

Few windshields have withstood the powerful impact of these hailstones the size of tennis balls.

Joe had left his vehicle in his garden.

"The rear window is exploded, the windshield too, just like the bonnet, the roof, and the mirrors. There are no more rear lights either", he lists.

Potential stock shortages

Along the main street that crosses the city, the car dealership run by Alain Tesson is overwhelmed with requests for emergency repairs.

"We are going to do a total check-up of all the cars and we are going to order right away so as not to be out of stock", he specifies to Europe 1. The body impacts will be "seen by an expert" , he said.

"Afterwards, you have to appoint people who are specialized, that is to say that we repair shocks by suction. It's a system of suction cups, we call it paintless dent removal."

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Many locals have already visited his garage.

"They come, they tell me: 'We have to change the windscreen.'

But there, from this evening, in my opinion, I will have about fifty. It will be terrible", he worries, before giving some advice.

"You have to know if your insurance covers glass breakage. Then you make a statement."

And to ensure: "We will try to be hyper reactive and replace windshields. On the other hand, we will be faced with a shortage of stock."

In 2018, in Taillan-Médoc, during a comparable hail episode, more than 100 cars had to be repaired, i.e. more than a year of work.