A study from Northern Illinois University found hailstones could start getting larger as the planet gets warmer.
Researchers expect large hailstones (those that are roughly 1.5 inches or larger) to increase by 15% to 75% as climate change progresses.
Higher temperatures will provide more potential for updrafts, which will allow hailstones to remain inside storms for a longer period of time. Those hailstones will then accumulate more ice before becoming too heavy and falling to the ground.
Hail damage is costly, accounting for 50% to 80% of claims filed due to thunderstorm-related losses, according to Gallagher Re. Hail causes an estimated $1.07 billion in property damage across the United States each year, according to Insurify, ranging from $23,387 in Rhode Island to $338.6 million in Texas.
According to the study’s weather modeling, climate change will reduce the number of days when hail falls in the Plains states, which are some of the most prone to hail storms. But when it falls, hail will be more severe, and it will likely be more widespread — affecting more regions going forward.
The slideshow above highlights 10 states that are most vulnerable to hail this year, according to Insurify.
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