Residents of the southern Great Plains can expect damaging hail of at least one inch in diameter every three to five years on average, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety. Although hailstorms generally are not a great threat to human life, the extensive damage that they cause to automobiles, crops, roofs, and other structures carries a multi-billion dollar price tag. A large part of this expense results from damage to residential roofs and their appurtenances.

A major hailstorm that pelted more than 200 miles of Texas in 2003 has provided researchers with a real-world laboratory for assessing roofing products and impact protection. Insurers paid approximately $885 million following the storms, predominantly to cover repairs stemming from hail damage.

IBHS analyzed claims resulting from the April 2003 hailstorm, one of the costliest disasters to ever hit the state, seeking definitive answers to the question of how homeowners could best protect their properties against hail. Of the nearly 80,000 claims filed by homeowners throughout the northern suburbs of Dallas and Fort Worth, the researchers identified notable trends in losses with respect to hail size, roof type, and impact-resistant status of roofs. Among the most important conclusions was that the claim rate on homes with impact-resistant roofs was 55 percent lower than for policies on homes without impact resistant roofs.

Other findings shed light on the relative performance and claim patterns of asphalt (composition) shingle, metal, tile, and wood roofs when subjected to hail impact. Structures with wood roofs were the most likely to have insuance claims, accounting for 43 percent. Asphalt shingle roofs had the second highest claim rate, at 24 percent, while the other roof-type categories experienced nearly the same claim rate, about 15 percent.

Increases in hail size corresponded to increases in claim percentages for all roof types. This increase was not as dramatic, however, for policies on homes with tile and metal roofs as it is for those with wood and asphalt shingle roofs, IBHS noted.

Special Reports /

Multi-Million Dollar Storm Provides Roofing Answers

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