Thousands of houses and cars were damaged early Wednesday by large hail during the worst overnight storm in El Paso County in more than 20 years. Between 1 and 3 a.m., hailstones up to 3 inches in diameter pummeled Fountain, Fort Carson and other areas southeast of Colorado Springs. The last time the county was hit by a severe hail storm overnight was in 1995, when 2-inch hail fell, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo. Hail up to an inch also was reported near the Air Force Academy and Black Forest, the Weather Service reported. "It was a historic event, considering the time of day," said Steve Hodanish, a Weather Service meteorologist.