In the nation’s ‘hail alley,’ fierce storms and booming growth are on a costly collision course

COLORADO SPRINGS — The fusillade was over in a matter of minutes, but by then 14 people had been hurt, numerous animals killed, 538 cars totaled and virtually every roof in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo destroyed.

Although it was the epicenter of the ferocious hailstorm — one that dropped ice bombs the size of baseballs — the acclaimed facility had much company in its misery last month. The famed Broadmoor resort suffered extensive damage, with its golf course left a crater-pocked mess. Thousands of homes had their roofs shredded, even those capped with one-inch-thick concrete tiles.