Hailstorms are created during a thunderstorm when moisture in the air is pushed to high altitudes. While they commonly occur during the spring months, they’re also known to happen well into September.
Hailstorms can also cause a massive amount of damage to property, crops, and people. One unsuspecting driver in Texas was hit on the head by a hailstone that was so large it broke through the car's roof!
Here are the top 12 states where hailstorms have done a lot of damage over the last decade and where you’ll need the best home insurance you can get.
North Carolina
Over nine years, there have been 139 hailstorms in North Carolina, which have caused property damage up to $126.1 million. This amount of damage works out to $119.50 per 100 residents.
So, for the price of a matinee, citizens of North Carolina will receive an isolated cluster of thunderstorms that develop into a mixture of hail big enough to break the windscreen of your car, extreme winds, and an EF-2 tornado.
Ohio
Ohio had five more hail storms than North Carolina over nine years. However, they only did $11.1 million of overall damage, compared to over $120 million in North Carolina.
Georgia
As in North Carolina, a tornado is not far behind when Georgia gets hit with a hail storm. The 144 storms between 2012 and 2021 resulted in $139 million of property, vehicle, and personal damage.
These storms are widespread across all of Georgia and include extreme weather like large hailstones, strong winds, and tornadoes.
North Dakota
With 149 hailstorms occurring over nine years, causing $1,128.08 in damage per 100 residents, North Dakota storms are incredibly nasty and destructive.
During the terrible 2016 storm — where over $50 million of property damage occurred — residents were lured into a false sense of security.
The superstorm died down before developing into a hail storm with extreme winds of over 80 mph and hailstones the size of baseballs.
South Dakota
South Dakota has endured 190 hailstorms in nearly a decade. These storms have caused almost $81 million in damage.
Unlike the previous states, there are high cases of flooding during the hailstorms in South Dakota, along with brief tornadoes and high amounts of hail.
The yearly property damage for residents is $903.58 per 100 citizens. These natural environmental occurrences cause a mind-blowing amount of damage yearly.
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Kansas
There's no place like home. While that might be true for Dorothy, it will cost you $175.64 per 100 residents annually to repair your home in Kansas.
Between 2012 and 2021, the Sunflower State has been the victim of 192 hailstorms. Over $51.5 million in property damage has occurred due to these storms.
With these extreme hailstorms and tornado season, it may be wise to invest in an underground home or a moveable one.
Mississippi
Johnny Cash may be going down to Jackson, but he’ll need to bring some rain gear and maybe a shield.
Mississippi endured over 288 hail storms in nearly a decade, which caused over $500 million's worth of damage. During some of their worst storms, hailstones the size of golf balls and baseballs caused severe damage to vehicles and infrastructure.
On top of the hailstones, extreme winds blew roofs off of houses and closed a school due to the extensive damage caused.
South Carolina
Even with Charleston being ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States, residents of South Carolina have lived through 302 hailstorms between 2012 and 2021.
While it’s the highest number of storms in this list so far, they caused some of the least damage dollar-wise, amounting to just $10.8 million. Compare that to Mississippi and it’s no wonder people love Charleston and South Carolina so much.
Oklahoma
You’re driving down Route 66, relaxed and enjoying the historic highway when the wind starts picking up and then turns into a rotating thunderstorm.
During this time, super-sized hail is now dropping onto your precious vehicle. But that doesn't worry you for long, since the thunderstorm has now turned into a tornado.
This scenario has happened to residents of Oklahoma 386 times in the last decade, causing $464.2 million of damage. Residents have one of the highest annual property damage in America, at $1,164.37 per 100 residents.
Nebraska
Even Penny from “The Big Bang Theory” left Nebraska and never looked back. Now we know why.
Between 2012 and 2021 Nebraska had 548 hailstorms with one causing over $30 million in property damage alone. The total cost of damage in the last decade was nearly $135 million.
Iowa
Iowa was the home of over 685 hail storms between 2012 and 2021. The state is famous for farming, so there’s less infrastructure to be damaged. As a result, only $20.3 million in property damage occurred over this period.
While that’s a lot lower than in some states, it’s still devastating for so many farmers who rely on crops and animals to make a living.
During these storms, all modes of severe weather occur, with high winds of 80 mph causing damage to electricity lines, large hail, tornadoes, and flash floods.
Texas
The Lone Star state has been the victim of 1,243 hailstorms between 2012 and 2021. That's over one a month over a decade.
These storms have caused massive amounts of devastation, with property damage coming in at $6.5 billion. It cost citizens $2,207.73 per 100 residents annually to repair their properties after every storm.
The 2012 storm alone cost residents $900 million in property damage. Everything is big in the Lone Star state, including softball-sized hail, 95 mph winds, floods, and supercells causing significant damage to crops, people, and historic infrastructure.
Bottom line
Hailstorms cause massive devastation and property damage and are something many states in America have to endure.
That's why it’s important to have the best home insurance you can if you live in any of these states.
With global warming rising, these storms will only get more frequent and more severe, and so will the damage.
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