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A sudden thunderstorm pounded Commerce City and Brighton onWednesday afternoon, leaving hail more than 6 inches deep in swaths extendingout to Denver International Airport.

Jeff Hudson was driving on East 104th Avenue about 2 p.m.,after leaving early from his job at an auto-parts store in Arvada, when thefirst hailstone — "the size of an orange" — hit the hood of hisbeloved 2-year-old Mustang.

Within seconds, dozens more followed. He thought the roofwas coming in on him as he pulled over, and he thought briefly about leavingthe car to run for safety.

"There was nowhere to hide," he said.

Aerial shots from television helicopters showed numerouscars with shattered windows and dented roofs, as well as damaged rooftops,across the northeastern suburbs.

Nicole Alley, a spokeswoman for Allstate Insurance Co., saidWednesday evening that it was too early to estimate the cost of the damage, butCommerce City Police spokesman Chris Dickey said: "It is really bad."

Hudson agreed.

"What a mess," the 24-year-old from Keenesburgsaid of his battered muscle car as he waited for a tow truck. The front andback windows were intact but too shattered for him to drive safely.

Throughout the afternoon and early evening, tornado watchesand warnings skirted the eastern rim of metro Denver.

About 2 p.m., travelers at DIA were jolted when thepublic-address announcer warned them to move away from windows and take coverin bathrooms, said David Siuta, a University of Wyoming student and manager ofthe school's track team.

Siuta and other team members were flying to Austin, Texas,for a track meet, but their 1:30 p.m. flight was delayed, he said.

"At first, it was a warning about lightning, and thenit was about tornadoes," he said.

Less than two hours after the storm passed, the melting haillooked like popcorn on parking lots and flooded gutters

At left, Commerce City police spokesman Chris Dickey holds acouple of hailstones. "It is really bad," he said of the stormdamage. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post) roofing businesses and insurancecompanies already were spotted in hard-hit neighborhoods.

Commerce City officials soon issued a statement urgingresidents to use caution in dealing with door-to-door repair companies.

Police Cmdr. Ross Sibley said unscrupulous companies findeasier targets when victims' "emotions are running high after the storm asthey survey the damage to their homes."

Alley said people shouldn't sign anything before talking totheir insurer. They also should keep receipts for any immediate repairs theymake, such as plywood over broken windows, she said.

"The very first thing they need to do is get in touchwith their insurance company and start the claims process," she said."And then they should take pictures of the damage, lots and lots of pictures."