A family has been left reeling after their house was severely damaged by a hailstorm, leaving them with golf ball-sized hailstones and a $10,000 bill for repairs.
Jonathan Walker and his family were at their house in Casterton, Victoria on October 17 when it was struck by a wild storm that brought torrential rain and giant hailstones.
The terrifying weather caused part of the roof to collapse and smashed several windows in the house while Mr Walker and his wife were inside with their seven children.
‘It was quite scary actually, because it was so loud,’ Mr Walker told 9News.
‘When the ceiling came down, the water started coming in everywhere. It was just so horrible. Hailstones were hitting the roof so loudly, you couldn’t hear yourself speak.’
When the storm finally stopped, the family realised their house and belongings had been ruined.
Photos of the aftermath show the rooms and beds were drenched and covered in debris after the roof caved in.
A valuable collection of instruments, which Mr Walker uses to teach music, were also waterlogged and covered in scraps.
The instruments included a collection of electric and acoustic guitars, a pipe organ, and multiple pianos, many of which cannot be salvaged.
Mr Walker estimates the damage could cost more than $10,000 to repair but said he doesn’t have home contents insurance because he couldn’t afford the rising premiums.
‘I have actually cried, like really cried,’ he said.
Mr Walker’s close friend Sarah Huret has started a GoFundMe campaign to help the struggling family, who she has praised for their ‘remarkable resilience’.
She revealed Mr Walker is a ‘talented music teacher’ and a ‘devoted father to seven children’ between aged from 14 to 39 years old.
Six of his children, four of whom live with a disability, reside with him in the now-destroyed house alongside his wife, who is battling dementia.
Ms Huret asked people to to help Mr Walker get his family back on their feet after his recent battle with cancer.
‘Unfortunately, his family are under financial hardship and were unable to afford contents insurance, and the landlord’s insurance won’t cover the building damage, leaving him in a difficult situation,’ she said.
‘Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a significant difference.’
The clean up of Casterton has begun after the town was struck by one of the worst storms in recent memory, with residents reporting hailstones the size of tennis balls.
The roads were white with fallen hail for hours after the damaging onslaught.
The Victorian State Emergency Service received more than 70 calls during the storm and have spent days assisting residents with their damaged homes in the aftermath.
