Severe Hailstorms Are Costly and Hard to Predict
Hail causes huge financial losses worldwide every year. But we still can’t predict when hail will strike. Climate scientists from around the world are teaming up to figure out how to change that.
Damage from hail scales with its size: Bigger hailstones mean more severe impacts. (Hand size varies by individual, so here’s a suggestion: Please be sure to include a ruler if you report hail!) Credit: John Allen 10 May 2021
In October 2010, severe thunderstorms pummeled the desert city of Phoenix with multiple tornadoes and massive hailstones up to 5 centimeters in diameter. In a few short hours, the storm exacted a heavy toll in the form of $2.7 billion of property damage almost entirely the result of damaged cars, broken windows, and destroyed roofs from the onslaught of hail.