Hail Lab: How Hailstone Shape and Size Impact Property Damage

Simulating Hail Damage

• 🔬 The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) simulates hail damage by creating up to 800 hailstones a day.
• 💡 Researchers tested the force required to break hailstones, with one stone requiring 550 lb of force to break.
• 🛠️ These simulated hailstones are then shot at construction materials to test how dwellings hold up against impact.

Studying Natural Hailstones

• ✈️ The IBHS lab is undertaking a six-week field trip to study natural hail formations.
• 📏 They collect molds of actual hailstones, including an 8-inch hailstone that fell in South Dakota at 80-90 miles per hour.
• ⚠️ Researchers are investigating whether hailstones with protrusions cause more damage than spherical ones.

Hailstone Shape and Damage

• ✅ The study found that irregularly shaped hailstones do tear shingles more than spherical ones.
• 📈 This research aims to inform the development of materials and methods that best protect structures from hail damage.

Economic Impact of Hail

• 📊 A report indicated that Texas experienced nearly a third of all homes hit by large, damaging hail last year.
• 💰 The focus is on understanding what works best to protect both structures and financial investments from hail.