What the Hail?

By Diane Tait

Image courtesy wikimedia

Calling Florida the Sunshine State is somewhat of a misnomer during the summer.  That’s because nearly every day we Floridians can expect to see a thunderstorm.  As bad as it is to try to see where you’re going through the windscreen when the rain is coming down in buckets, there’s an even more insidious hazard contained within the heart of every thunderhead: Hail.  Known to crack windshields and ding hoods, hail is a hazard that can cause damage to cars and homes anytime a thunderstorm decides to pop up during the dog days of summer.  To give you a leg up on how to deal with these frozen pellets of peril, I thought I’d devote this week’s blog to the ins and outs of hailstorms.

Bat out of Hail

Hail starts off just like any other water droplet contained within a thunderhead.  As the storm builds, cloud tops can exceed 50,000 feet in altitude.  This causes powerful updrafts that not only build rain clouds but suck up any moisture produced to heights where water rapidly freezes.  As raindrops freeze, they fall back toward the earth only to be caught in updrafts produced within the cloud where they’re taken back to the top to accumulate yet another layer of ice.  This soggy roller coaster ride can continue for quite some time, adding more mass to the hail pellets until the updrafts can no longer support their mass.  That’s when they hurtle to earth at speeds of up to 125 MPH.  Depending upon the size of the storm, hail that hits the ground grow to anywhere from a pea to a baseball.  While larger hailstones can pose a hazard to windshields, shingles and heads, even smaller hail can cause damage.

How to Prevent Hail Damage

Image courtesy Pixabay

When it comes to keeping you and your car from feeling the worst that a hailstorm can do, the first rule is to seek shelter.  That means stop what you’re doing, including driving, as soon as you can and use whatever is available to get out of the storm.  This can include pulling into a parking garage, under an overpass, or even pulling a blanket or car cover out of the trunk to cover the hood and top of the car.  Driving through a hailstorm only compounds the damage since the speed of your vehicle is added to that of the hurtling hailstone.  If you’re caught outdoors and away from your vehicle, the best defense is to cover your head with whatever is handy.  This can include a jacket, a book, your hands or even your beloved tablet PC.  Better to have to replace a computer than to wind up getting beaned by hail.  Whatever you do, don’t seek shelter under a tree during a hailstorm since where there’s hail there’s also lightning which has a magnetic attraction to tall trees.

Hail No.  Let the Shingles Go

When it comes to protecting the roof from hail, less is more.  By that, I mean while you could technically climb up on the roof to cover it with a tarp during a hailstorm, this is the last place you want to be when the wind is whipping and the lightning is crackling.  Better to replace some shingles than to wind up waking up in the ICU.  One of the things that your homeowner’s policy covers is hail damage.  The same goes for your car, provided you have comprehensive coverage and a deductible greater than the cost of the damage.

How the Hail Do You File a Claim?

Image courtesy flickr

As soon as you detect hail damage to either your vehicle or your home, you need to act fast.  That’s because the insurance company will want a detailed report as to the circumstances and the damage caused by hail.  The longer you wait to speak to your insurance agent the hazier your recollection of the incident will be.  In fact, the first thing you should do after hail damage of any kind is to document the damage.  Take plenty of photographs that are timestamped.  This will help the insurer to approve your claim.  Then contact your agent right away so a claim can be filed and an adjuster can be assigned to your case.  Make sure you make the time to meet with the adjuster even if it means reshuffling your schedule.  The sooner the adjuster can file a report the faster a check can be cut.  When you shop for quotes, don’t automatically choose the cheapest one.  Make sure you’re dealing with a quality repair shop since you’ll only get one bite out of the apple.  If the shop performs shoddy service, any additional repair work will come out of your pocket.  Last but not least, once you receive a check from your insurer, get the repair completed as soon as possible.  If you wait, the elements can cause rust or other damage which will cost you extra to fix.

How the Hail Can You File Less Claims?

Nobody likes paying one penny more for auto insurance than they have to.  That’s a given.  The problem is, the more claims you make, the more likely it is for your premiums to go up.  Since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, if you don’t have a garage in which to keep your car, the next best solution is to have a carport built.  These cost way less to construct than a garage and can keep the worst hail damage from occurring whenever your car is parked there.  Of course, when you are out and about or at the office the carport does you little good. In that case, the best way to keep your ride from getting dinged or your windshield from getting cracked would be to invest in a hail-proof car cover.  Yes Virginia, there are such things available online and in auto parts stores.  The four types that are most effective are the portable carport, the inflatable car cover, the car umbrella tent and certain kinds of fitted car covers.  These inventions were designed to provide separation between vulnerable windshields and sheet metal panels so that hail pellets bounce off the cover instead of your car.  The inflatable car cover even claims it can keep flood waters from penetrating your vehicle, which is a thought when Hurricane Season rolls around.

While it might take a bit of ingenuity and a few bucks to protect your ride from the worst that Mother Nature can throw at you, it’s better than having to file another claim for hail damage.  I mean, what the hail?

Diane Tait owns and operates A&B Insurance.  To find out more about how you can save money on auto or home owner’s insurance, go to her site or fill out the form at right.