Hailstorms: Minimizing the Damage

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies

Hail is one of the most common and costly weather hazards in the country — often resulting in serious damage to buildings, vehicles, and other property. While it’s most important for your clients to keep themselves out of danger during a storm, protecting personal and/or commercial assets is important, too. The first line of defense is remaining up to date on the weather forecast. Next, preparations made in advance and actions taken after the storm can help minimize damage. Below are some tips to share with your customers.

Advance Preparations

Maintenance

• Conduct regular roof inspections for wear and tear. A weak roof is more vulnerable to storms. If replacement is necessary, consider higher quality materials like Class 4 shingles or fiber cement siding that can stand up better to bad weather conditions. (Note: Steep sloped roofs suffer less hail damage than low-sloped or flat roofs.)
• Clear eavestroughs of debris to minimize water damage.
• Keep trees and large shrubs around the home or office trimmed. Remove weak branches that can break easily and large, sturdy ones that can cause severe damage.

Protective Measures

• Install protective shutters (permanent or temporary) over windows and consider adding metal awnings to lessen glass blow-outs. Plywood shutters can protect in a pinch. Draw curtains and blinds and cover skylights during a storm.
• Invest in weather-protective covers for outside furniture and equipment that cannot be moved inside during a storm. In an emergency, a carpet or blankets will suffice.
• Make sure skylights and solar panels are high impact-rated.
• Protect roof-mounted HVAC systems and satellite dishes with safeguards, shields, and wire mesh.
• Shelter vehicles; consider investing in hail car covers to lessen damage.

After the Storm

• If damage is experienced, contact the insurance company (or agent) as soon as possible. Be ready to provide a general description of the damage and have the policy number handy.
• Protect oneself. Report downed power lines or gas leaks immediately. Be careful that no flooding has occurred before handling electricity.
• Take reasonable (and safe) steps to prevent property from further damage; board up windows and salvage undamaged items.
• Keep damaged items or portions of items until the claim adjuster has visited, and photograph or record the damage to document the claim.

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