I'll never forget hearing about a violent hailstorm at Fort Collins, Colo., on July 30, 1979. With hailstones as large as a grapefuit, a three-month-old baby died of a fractured skull after being struck by hail while being carried by her mother, who was running with her to seek cover. Luckily, fatalities from hail storms are rare.

Property damage from hail storms, however, is the leading cause of severe thunderstorm losses, according to meteorologist Steve Bowen of Aon Benfield and The Weather Channel. Hail-related property damage can be as minimal as a few damaged shingles to total destruction of crops, homes, commercial buildings and vehicles. 

$1 billion storms on the rise

While hail loss claims decreased 21% from 2013 through 2015, according to a recently released ForeCAST report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the overall costs of hail-related claims in recent years have increased dramatically.

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