Storm damage is one of those unlucky breaks that can happen to anyone, but the financial aftermath often delivers a shock that's even worse than the weather itself. What looks like minor cosmetic damage from flying debris can quickly snowball into thousands of dollars in repair costs, especially when special paint colors and modern vehicle construction methods come into play. That’s what happened to this woman who’s had some recent bad luck with her cars. Basketball Hoop Causes Extensive Damage In a viral video series with more than 2.4 million views across multiple posts, content creator Jennifer (@jenngstyle) documents the costly aftermath of storm damage to her green Denali. After a severe overnight storm, Jennifer went out to discover debris scattered everywhere. "There's [expletive] everywhere," she says, looking around. That’s when she spots a brownish mark on her distinctly green car. FROM THE TRENDING NEWS DESK Viral bits from across the social media landscape Our team of experts tracks what's trending so you don't have to—from viral videos to online debates that have everyone talking. "Look at this. I mean, it had to hit my car because, like, what is this? What is this? Is that a scratch?" she says, accusing the basketball hoop she’d installed (which was now on the ground) of causing the damage. Ring doorbell footage confirmed what happened: the basketball hoop that Jennifer had recently installed fell diagonally across her Denali during the storm, scraping along the vehicle's surface. But what initially appeared to be minor scratches turned out to need more extensive repair. Does It Cost Thousands to Fix a Scratch? In a follow-up video, Jennifer broke down how what seemed like easily repairable damage quickly escalated into a major expense. "At first, I just saw this," she explains, pointing to visible scratches. "I saw this scratch and this scratch, and I thought, ‘That can be buffed out. Not a big deal.’" However, closer inspection revealed the true extent of the damage. "There's actually a dent. See the dent?" she says, showing viewers the depression in the panel. "Still, you think it's not a big deal. Well, they have to take this whole panel and redo it and repaint it." The complexity (and cost) compounds because of her Denali's special paint color. "Because they have to repaint this panel and this car is a special color, that means they have to repaint this panel," Jennifer explains. Plus, they found another dent adjacent to the hood. "That means I have to replace the hood. Not replace the hood, but they have to fix this, and then they have to repaint the hood to match the fender to match the door," Jennifer says. For those who didn’t believe her, she showed paperwork of the quote, which did in fact have a $3,201.66 total. “I can't make this [expletive] up." Does Auto Insurance Cover Storm Damage? Jennifer's situation is exactly why comprehensive auto insurance exists. This type of coverage, also called "other than collision" insurance, is specifically designed to handle damage from things like storms, falling objects, hail, and other natural disasters, Experian reports. Jennifer’s basketball hoop incident would almost certainly be covered under comprehensive insurance if she has it. Here's how it typically works: comprehensive coverage pays for repairs or replacement when your car gets damaged by something other than a traffic accident. But not everyone has comprehensive coverage because it's optional unless you're financing or leasing your vehicle. The tricky part is that comprehensive claims can still affect your insurance rates (even though natural disasters aren't your fault). Insurance companies have been raising rates partly due to the increasing frequency of severe weather events. Plus, if you live in an area prone to storms, your insurer might view you as a higher risk even if you've never filed a claim before. For older vehicles, some people skip comprehensive coverage to save money. The general rule is to consider dropping it if your car is worth less than what you'd pay in annual premiums. But given that comprehensive coverage averages about $263 per year nationally, per Experian, it might be worth keeping even for older vehicles, especially if you live somewhere that gets hit by severe weather regularly. Is Her Denali Cursed? Many of the people who commented on Jennifer’s TikTok referenced a previous incident in which the Denali was purportedly robbed. “Girl that car has got to go. Trade her in and get you a new one. I don't think there is enough sage to cleanse the bad juju that car has,” one wrote. “Why would you park in that spot lol,” a commenter wondered. Jennifer says in another video that with her other car plus all the things she has stored there , there’s no room for the Denali in her garage. “The basketball hoop needs cinderblocks…” another pointed out. “She leaves the car unlocked and is robbed… and leaves a bball hoop next to the car in a storm… and it’s the car’s fault? We know where the problem is…,” one said. Motor1 reached out to Jennifer for comment via email and Instagram direct message. We'll be sure to update this if she responds.
