Austin, Texas, June 12, 2009 - On March 26th, Central Texas was hit with a hailstorm that caused an estimated $160 million in damages. While the average hail storm lasts about six minutes, the National Weather Service estimates that hail causes roughly $1 billion in damages each year. Hail can severely damage the roof and siding of homes and businesses as well as shatter windshields, side view mirrors, headlights and leave noticeable damage to the body of a vehicle.
On the heels of this latest hailstorm, BBB offers the following tips to consumers to protect themselves and their property:
Before the hailstorm:
- Learn to recognize the weather conditions that spark hailstorms.
- As a precaution, if weather forecasters are predicting a hailstorm, pull cars, boats, and RVs into a garage, covered parking lot or other substantial covering.
- If your only choice is to leave your parked car exposed to the elements, you may want to cover the hood, roof and trunk with thick blankets as protection against possible hail.
During a hailstorm:
- Once hail has begun to fall, do not go out into the storm to protect your vehicle or other property! You could be injured.
- If you are driving, and a safe place (like inside a garage, under an overpass or a service station awning) is in view, drive there as soon as possible.
- If you cannot find a sheltered area, carefully pull completely off the highway to the side of the road. Keep head and face away from windows.
- Do not leave the vehicle until after it stops hailing to avoid personal injury.
After the hailstorm:
- Assess the damage. Check your car for dents and broken or cracked glass and headlights.
- If there is broken glass in your car, take action to prevent rain damage to the interior. Remove the glass to prevent cuts to you or your passengers.
If your car or property sustained hail damage:
- Your insurance policy may cover hail damage. Call your insurance agent or company immediately to report the damage and discuss how to proceed with repairs.
- After an insurance adjuster has surveyed your hail damage, you will need to find a reputable company to make repairs. BBB can offer a list of trustworthy businesses offering repair services. These businesses can be found on BBB's Web site here.
- Talk to experts. Hail damage to sheet metal on vehicles may need to be hammered and painted. Technicians may recommend paintless dent removal (PDR), which involves using specially-molded metal tools on the underside of a damaged part that will not disturb the factory finish.
- Your insurance company will be able to determine the severity of your damage and consult with you and the business on which repair method makes the most sense for your vehicle.
- Find out how long the repair will take. If damage is heavy in your area, it may take awhile to schedule the repairs.
- Make sure your repairs are completed to your satisfaction.
- Get guarantee and contact information from the company in writing. If you notice a flaw in your repair, you should be able to have it fixed at no additional charge.
To check out the reliability of any company, visit www.bbb.org.