It's the season of unsettled weather: Tornadoes, thunderstorms and hail. Recent storms in the Midwest pummeled cars and homes with golf ball-sized hail, but even hail the size of a pea can pack quite a punch and cause substantial damage.
According to information from the Farmers Seasonal Smarts Digest, hail accounted for 42% of all comprehensive auto claims during the second quarter. Geography impacts where hail damage will be most prevalent, with the Midwest region experiencing higher claims. Approximately 90% of non-collision auto claims and 60% of homeowners' claims occurred in Oklahoma. In Nebraska, 86% of non-collision auto claims and 65% of homeowners' claims were related to hail damage. Interestingly, South Dakota also saw significant hail damage with 87% of its comprehensive auto claims and 60% of the homeowners' claims related to spring hail storms.
These figures confirm the findings from CCC Information Services, which saw a definite increase in hail-related auto claims appraisals written through their software. Claims rose in multiple states including: Colorado (16.2% increase); Delaware (10%); Iowa (22%); Kansas (19%); Missouri (17%); Montana (43%); Nebraska (33%); New Mexico (13%); Pennsylvania (12%); South Dakota (52%); Vermont (32%) and Wyoming (18%).
Susanna Gotsch, CCC's director and industry analyst, says that "repair costs are rising across the board, but I think a lot of the volatility in the hail cost data is the range in severity of storms," with larger hail producing more damage on a per vehicle basis.
"The average hail storm lasts just six minutes," explains Paul Quinn, head of claims customer experience at Farmers," but the damage it can cause to a vehicle can be severe." Quinn offers these recommendations to keep drivers and vehicles safe:
- Stay where you are. Sometimes the best place to be when encountering severe weather is right where you are.
- Get to covered parking. Parking garages and carports can protect vehicles from hail damage, since a storm can arise at any time.
- Seek shelter. Quinn recommends moving a vehicle to a covered area if possible when a storm hits such as a shopping mall or other covered parking lot. He says drivers should not stop under overpasses or bridges. These storms may spawn tornadoes, and a bridge or overpass is a dangerous place to be during that type of weather event.
- Purchase a hail blanket or car cover. A specialized hail blanket or car cover can protect a vehicle if covered parking is not available, but it should be securely fastened since high winds can blow the covers off of the vehicle.
- Consider alternative transportation. Take alternative transportation such as a taxi or public transit if storms are forecast and you can't avoid being on the road.
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