Hail is one of the most damaging and costly weather hazards in the United States, causing more than $15 billion in property damage in peak years. Unlike many weather hazards that are confined to specific regions, hail can occur anywhere that thunderstorms form — making it a threat for every state in the country. Ready.gov’s Thunderstorm, Lightning, and Hail Hazard Information Sheet covers the full threat picture of these related hazards and what to do to protect yourself, your family, and your property. This guide focuses specifically on hail preparedness and safety.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to install the free PubSafe mobile app and subscribe!
What Is Hail and How Does It Form?
Hail forms within powerful thunderstorm updrafts when supercooled water droplets (liquid water existing below freezing temperature) freeze around small particles of dust, pollen, or ice. Strong updraft winds within the storm keep hailstones suspended and allow them to grow layer by layer as additional water freezes onto them. When the hailstone finally becomes too heavy for the updraft to support, it falls to earth. The stronger the storm’s updraft, the larger the hail it can produce. Golf ball-sized hail (1.75 inches in diameter) requires updrafts of about 56 mph. Baseball-sized hail (2.75 inches) requires updrafts exceeding 100 mph.
Hailstones can reach speeds of 90–100 mph as they fall, delivering enough force to shatter car windshields, punch holes in roofing shingles, damage siding, dent metal panels, and injure or kill humans and livestock caught in the open.
The Hail Threat Zone
While hail can occur anywhere, a region known as “Hail Alley” — encompassing Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming — sees the most frequent large hail events in the United States. Texas, Kansas, and South Dakota also experience significant hail activity. Hail is most common in late spring through early summer, when warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cold, dry air from the north, creating ideal conditions for severe thunderstorm development.
However, hail is not limited to the Great Plains. Significant hail events have occurred in every region of the country, including the Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast.
Before Hail Season: Preparedness Steps
Ready.gov recommends these preparedness actions for households in hail-prone areas:
Protect Your Property
- Use impact-resistant roofing materials. Class 4 impact-resistant shingles (the highest rating) can significantly reduce hail damage. Many insurance companies offer premium discounts for impact-resistant roofing.
- Install hail-resistant siding. Fiber cement, aluminum, and Class 4-rated vinyl siding are more resistant to hail damage than standard materials.
- Protect vehicles. Park in a garage or covered parking structure when severe thunderstorms are forecast. If no covered parking is available, hail blankets or specially designed car covers can provide some protection.
- Consider storm windows. Double- or triple-pane windows are more resistant to hail impact than single-pane glass.
- Protect garden equipment and outdoor furniture. Move portable items indoors when hail is forecast.
Review Your Insurance
Standard homeowners insurance typically covers hail damage to your home and other structures on your property. Auto insurance covers hail damage only if you have comprehensive coverage (not just liability). Review your policies annually. Note your deductibles — some policies have separate, higher deductibles for hail and wind damage. Document your property’s condition with photos and video before each storm season so you have baseline evidence for any future insurance claims.
During a Hail Storm
- Get indoors immediately. Hail can cause serious injuries. Even golf ball-sized hail falling at high speed can cause concussion, lacerations, and broken bones in unprotected individuals.
- Stay away from windows. Large hail can shatter glass, sending dangerous shards into interior spaces.
- If caught in a vehicle during a hail storm: Pull over (away from trees and structures that could fall), stop the vehicle, and shelter below window level. Cover yourself with a blanket, coat, or other cushion if available.
- If caught outdoors with no shelter: Protect your head with your arms, a bag, or any available padding. Seek low ground away from trees and buildings. Move to the lowest ground possible to reduce exposure to falling hailstones.
- Never seek shelter under a highway overpass. Underpasses provide no protection from hail and create dangerous traffic hazards.
After a Hail Storm
- Wait for the storm to completely pass before going outdoors — hail can resume with the storm’s next cell
- Inspect your roof carefully, looking for dented or missing shingles, cracked roof vents, and damage to gutters and downspouts
- Document all damage with photos and video before beginning any cleanup or repairs
- Contact your insurance agent promptly — most policies have time limits for filing hail damage claims
- Be cautious of unsolicited “storm chaser” contractors who appear in your neighborhood after a hail event — many are unlicensed, use substandard materials, and may disappear before completing work or after accepting payment
- Get at least two to three written estimates from licensed, insured local contractors before agreeing to any repairs
How PubSafe Supports Community Response to Hail Events
After a significant hail event, communities benefit enormously from organized information sharing and mutual support. PubSafe provides a platform that enables community members to share verified reports of hail size and damage extent, helping neighbors and emergency managers understand the scope of impact across different areas. PubSafe also supports coordination of resources — helping residents who need roof tarping, boarding of broken windows, or vehicle retrieval connect with neighbors who have tools, supplies, or equipment to help. In areas with vulnerable residents — elderly individuals or those with limited mobility — PubSafe’s welfare check coordination helps ensure everyone is accounted for and safe after a damaging hail event.
PubSafe’s reporting function also helps communities organize accurate damage documentation for insurance and FEMA assistance claims, reducing the administrative burden during an already stressful time. Connect your neighborhood on PubSafe before hail season — so your community is ready to support one another when the next storm hits.
Resources
- Ready.gov Thunderstorms, Lightning, and Hail page
- NOAA Hail Safety: weather.gov/safety/thunderstorm
- National Storm Damage Center: nationalstomdamagecenter.com
- Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS): disastersafety.org
Download the Ready.gov Thunderstorm, Lightning, and Hail Hazard Information Sheet and review your insurance coverage today. Connect your community on PubSafe — because when hail hits, a connected neighborhood recovers faster.
Hail and Crop Agriculture: A Billion-Dollar Threat
While urban and suburban property damage from hail captures much of the media attention, the agricultural sector bears the largest economic burden of hail damage in the United States. Hail can devastate crops that took months to grow and represent a farm family’s entire annual income in a matter of minutes. According to USDA data, hail damage to crops costs U.S. agriculture more than $1 billion annually in an average year, with losses much higher in severe outbreak years.
Hail is particularly damaging to small-grain crops like wheat and corn that cannot tolerate even moderate hail, and to specialty crops like grapes, apples, peaches, and cherries where hail bruising reduces marketable yield even when it does not destroy the crop outright. Some growers in hail-prone areas invest in hail netting — physical overhead netting systems that protect high-value crops from hail impact — and in hail insurance through the Federal Crop Insurance program, which provides multi-peril crop insurance covering hail losses.
Farmers can also use precision weather forecasting services that provide field-level hail probability forecasts during storm season, allowing them to take proactive steps like covering vulnerable crops before a storm arrives. The Storm Events Database maintained by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) provides historical hail event data down to the county level, allowing farmers and insurance professionals to assess hail frequency and severity for specific agricultural regions.
Hail Damage Documentation and Insurance Claims
After a significant hail event, proper damage documentation is the foundation of a successful insurance claim. Ready.gov and insurance professionals recommend the following documentation best practices:
- Take photographs and video of all damage immediately after the storm, before any cleanup, tarping, or repair work begins. This captures the damage in its original state for insurance purposes.
- Document damage to every structure and vehicle on your property, even if the damage appears minor. Cumulative hail damage to multiple structures can add up significantly.
- Keep all damaged materials — roofing shingles, gutters, siding panels — until your insurance adjuster has inspected them. Do not throw them away, as they are evidence of the damage.
- Request the hail size data from the nearest weather station or NOAA’s Storm Events Database for your specific location and date. Hail size is a key factor in insurance claim evaluation.
- Get at least two to three written estimates from licensed, insured, bonded local roofing contractors before agreeing to any repairs. Be wary of out-of-state contractors who appear immediately after a storm.
- Review your policy’s deductible carefully. Many policies in hail-prone states now include separate, higher percentage deductibles for wind and hail damage (typically 1–2% of the home’s insured value, which can be thousands of dollars).
If your claim is denied or you believe you have been underpaid, you have options. You can request a re-inspection, hire a licensed public adjuster who works on your behalf rather than the insurer’s, or consult a licensed insurance attorney. Your state’s Department of Insurance can also mediate disputes with insurance companies. Connect your neighborhood on PubSafe to share contractor recommendations and resources after hail events — helping your community navigate the recovery process together.
