Solon police fleet damaged in severe hailstorm

SOLON, Ohio (WOIO) - Severe storms with large hail rolled through northeast Ohio overnight, leaving the Solon Police Department with significant damage to more than half of its patrol vehicles.

Twenty out of 30 police vehicles marked and unmarked, sustained damage in the storm. Six of those vehicles are too damaged to drive.

“Could you drive them? Yes, but we’re in the business of safety and that’s not a safe situation,” said Lt. Bill Vajdich.

Vajdich said cracks in windshields run directly over mounted equipment like cameras, making the vehicles unsafe for patrol.

The police headquarter also sustained damage. The department’s sign was stripped of its letters, and the building had busted windows and shattered lights.

Despite the damage, Vajdich said response times will not be affected.

“We’ll be able to handle all our routine calls for service, unimpeded, we’ll be able to deal with large scale emergencies, just like always,” he said.

No one in Solon was displaced by the storm, but nearly everyone is dealing with some level of cleanup, Vajdich said.

“From what I understand it’s good that nobody was displaced but everyone’s facing damage from this hailstorm, you’re going to have a ding, or a lot of dings in our case,” he said.

No injuries were reported.

Repair costs are expected to reach tens of thousands of dollars, Vajdich said.

“Don’t expect the Solon police department vehicle fleet to be parade ready for the next several months,” he said.

The department will remain fully operational while repairs are underway.

Solon is one of several northeast Ohio communities facing cleanup after the overnight storms.