Do You Live In One of the Top 5 States With the Most Hail Damage?
Where there’s a thunderstorm, there is often hail – and where hail falls, there is usually property damage. In the United States, hailstorms can happen in any part of the country, but most commonly occur in the central and southern plains states stretching from Texas to the Dakotas, a region known as “Hail Alley.” During the spring and summer months, warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico moves northward, colliding with cold, dry air from Canada to create violent, hail-producing thunderstorms.
The damage left after a hailstorm can be staggering. According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, hail causes about $1 billion in damage to property and crops each year.
Texas Leads Recent Hail Damage Claims Totals
2016 was a particularly devastating year of hailstorms in Hail Alley, and the costliest on record. According to National Insurance Crime Bureau analysis of insurance claims from the Insurance Services Office Claim Search database, Texas led all states in hail damage claims in 2016. Total claims filed numbered 378,652 following a rash of major hailstorms in the densely populated areas of Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio. Estimated insured loses reached $4 billion.
Texas’s 2016 tally of hail claims was more than quadruple the number of hail claims of the next leading state, Colorado, with 90,002 claims. Colorado’s Front Range is located in the heart of Hail Alley.
Protect Homes Against Hail Damage
Even the best preparation can’t avert all hailstorm damage, but there are things you can do to increase protection for the structures you build or remodel. Siding is a critical component of a home’s building envelope that is often overlooked. LP® SmartSide® engineered wood siding offers excellent protection and has been tested to resist impact from 1.75-inch hail at 81 miles per hour! LP SmartSide products are also backed by a 50-year prorated limited warranty that includes limited hail coverage, plus a five-year, 100 percent labor and material replacement warranty.
Are you interested in offering homeowners the benefits of LP products? The LP BuildSmart™ Preferred Contractor Program educates contractors like you about how to install LP SmartSide products, and offers tools to help you increase leads. Learn more about the LP BuildSmart Preferred Contractor Program by calling (866) 389-4657.
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