This summer, Colorado faces another severe storm season, and with it comes the increased likelihood of hail storms. Pop-up thunderstorms may not last for long–and thankfully, there’s usually little to no damage. But sometimes, strong storms can leave homeowners with extensive property damage.
Hail stones can be especially destructive, costing an estimated $1 billion a year in crop and property damage in the U.S. If the hail storm is intense and long enough, the hailstones are wide enough in diameter (at least 0.75 inches wide), people, plants, animals, buildings, cars, and equipment can all sustain some heavy damage.
So what can you do to prevent hail storm damage to your home and property? We have a few tips that can keep you and your family safe.
- Before a storm hits, contact us to examine your roof. Knowing that we’re going to have some intense weather ahead of time, you should prepare for it. At HomeGuard, we can come to your home at the beginning of the year and inspect your roof. We can let you know what condition it’s in and repair your roof before a hail storm makes any normal wear and tear become a major issue.
- Purchase appropriate insurance. Does your homeowner’s insurance cover hail damage? If not, now is the time to make sure you have the right insurance.
- Make sure you’ve prepared your property for a storm. How is your shrubbery? Is it all well-maintained? If property damage happens because of improperly maintained shrubs and trees, you may have to pay for some expenses yourself. This also means you should keep gutters and drainpipes clear of all debris.
- Secure and cover all property. Hail stones can cause extensive damage to vehicles and equipment, shattering glass and causing major dents in metal. Bring your vehicles in your garage or under your carport if possible. Bring all your outdoor furniture, gardening tools, farm equipment, and whatever else is outside inside a shed or your garage. Otherwise, when strong winds start to pick up, these items can act like projectiles, causing damage to your property or to your neighbors’ property. They can also cause injuries to people and animals.
- Keep plants and pets out of harm’s way. If you have farm animals or domestic pets, you’ll want to make sure that they are kept safe. Hail stones, especially larger ones, can hurt animals causing major to fatal wounds. Make sure to bring pets inside and put farm animals in their appropriate buildings.
- When a hail storm hits, make sure you know what to look for. When storms arrive, you should look out for distant thunder and lightning, darker clouds, heavy rains, and strong winds. Hail storms usually have both lighter and darker clouds, which form because cold air and hot air have collided.
- Keep up with weather updates. Whether you’re watching the news on TV, keeping up with social media updates from your local TV stations, or you’re listening to the radio, it’s important to keep abreast with severe weather updates. If you know strong storms are approaching, then you and your family can take cover.
- Close your doors and windows. If there is flying debris or hail stones, keeping your doors and windows tightly shut can keep your home clean, dry, and safe. If you have blinds or drapes on your windows, keep them drawn. In the case that hailstones do break your windows, this will minimize the chance of flying glass, or other debris picked up by the storm, hurtling through your home.
- Call us before you file an insurance claim. Even if you have prepared for summer storms, you still may find yourself with a damaged roof due to hail. If that’s the case, before you call your insurance company, call us to look at your roof. We can assess the damage and help with your insurance claim, saving you both time and money.
Sometimes, hail storms are unavoidable, but if you can prepare ahead of time, you can keep you, your family, and your property safe and save yourself the headache of dealing with extensive property damage or injury. To learn more about how we can help you with hail storm damage, contact us online or call us at (720) 708-4126.
