Hail

Hail can occur in any strong thunderstorm, which means you can potentially have chunks of ice coming at you from over 100 mph anywhere, anytime. 

When hail hits, it can shred roof coverings and lead to water damage to your ceilings, walls, floors, appliances and personal possessions. Hail causes more than $1 billion in crop and property damage each year. Therefore, knowing which roof coverings resist impact well can save you lots of trouble and money.

Your home, your castle

To protect your home from hail the most important thing to protect is the roof.

Whether you're replacing your own roof covering or having it done professionally, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Most roofing jobs are not for the do-it-yourselfer. Unless you have lots of experience in replacing roof coverings, hire a professional roofing contractor to handle this job
  
  
• If you're replacing your old, worn-out roof covering with new asphalt shingles, make sure they have a Class 4 rating under Underwriters Laboratories' (UL) 2218 standard. A Class 4 rating tells you a sample of the product didn't crack when hit twice in the same area by a two-inch steel ball
  
  

Act quickly, but don't panic

When most people think of hail they don't usually consider personal injury. But with hail sometimes reaching the size of grapefruit and softballs, the possibility is always there. Best to go with the old adage: better safe than sorry.

• If you're inside when a storm with large hailstones strikes, stay there
  
• Because large pieces of hail can shatter windows, close your drapes, blinds or window shades to prevent the wind from blowing broken glass inside
  
• Stay away from skylights and doors
  
• If you're outside, move immediately to a place of shelter
  

This information is meant to help you make decisions that may reduce your risk. Of course, we can't note every possible risk, and we can't guarantee that these tips will work for you. However, we hope that if you use some of them, you'll better protect your family and yourself.

Contact your insurance agent to make sure you're properly covered if a catastrophe strikes.

Is hail falling in your area?