Florida hailstorm damages ferneries in Volusia County

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Workers at several ferneries in Volusia County were greeted Monday by hailstones that turned into sheets of ice.

"Some of them are big as a nickel. They were real huge hailstones," Richard Hagstrom, owner of Richard Hagstrom Ferneries and president of Albin Hagstrom & Son, said. 

Nearly a day later, some of the hailstones had not yet melted. In some parts, the shade cloths were no match for the heavy hailstones, causing the fabric to cave in and the rebar to bend.

"To straighten something like that, it's not easy. I mean, you never get it straightened up like you want it," Hagstrom said.

Ronald Jones Ferneries also suffered some damage, according to a Facebook video the company posted. 

Hagstrom estimates the damage at all three ferneries spread across 40 acres and there will likely be costly repairs.

"Hopefully, we can get it up to where we can harvest the fern and then decide what we're going to do with the fernery," Hagstrom said.