Arkansas woman left bloodied by softball-sized hail: 'It could've been a lot worse'
Janna Figueroa said the cut caused by the hail stone was small, but the injury was enough to cause blood to pour down her face.
Softball-sized hail strikes Arkansas woman on her head
Arkansas woman Jenna Figueroa was pelted by hail as she picked up food for her family on Wednesday, June 14.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – An Arkansas woman said she was picking up food on her way home from work when hail began pelting her vehicle and ultimately struck the young woman in her head.
Figueroa said she stopped at a Taco Bell drive-thru on Wednesday afternoon to pick up food when the hail began to fall.
A hailstone that fell when Figueroa was injured. June 14, 2023.
(Jenna C. Figueroa / FOX Weather)
According to Figueroa, the hail was the size of softballs. She said the stones were so large they broke shattered the back windshield of her car and scattered broken glass across the back seat. She said the hail was also pounding the front windshield.
"I immediately was terrified," Figueroa said.
She said she decided to drive to the front of the restaurant and park with the intention of seeking shelter inside.
![The back windshield that had fallen in from hail damage. Hail also chipped off the white paint on the car. June 14, 2023.]()
Image 1 of 2The back windshield that had fallen in from hail damage. Hail also chipped off the white paint on the car. June 14, 2023. (Jenna C. Figueroa)
![Glass on the back seat.]()
Image 2 of 2Glass on the back seat. (Jenna C. Figueroa)
"I didn't want the glass to hit my face, get in my eyes and cause more damage," she added. "So, I proceeded to dart inside as I left my vehicle. Unfortunately, I did get hit in the head with hail."
Once inside the restaurant, Figueroa said Taco Bell employees asked her if she was alright, as blood had begun to pour down her face. They told her to sit down and applied pressure to her wound until help arrived.
Figueroa with her injury, which she is showing to her family on a video call. June 14, 2023.
(Jenna C. Figueroa / FOX Weather)
An ambulance was called and checked Figueroa’s condition. She said she didn't get any stitches, but the hailstone gave her a small cut on her head. She said an undercover police officer who was at the scene noted that trauma to the head is capable of producing a lot of blood.
"I was pretty safe, for the most part," she said. "It could have been a lot worse."
Figueroa with her injury. June 14, 2023.
(Jenna C. Figueroa / FOX Weather)
Figueroa said that normally her daughter would've been in the back seat after being picked up from daycare on her way home from work, but her daughter just happened to be picked up by her husband that day.