Summer is a time for backyard barbecues, baseball games, and fireworks—but it’s also a time for severe weather. The summer and fall are when hailstorms commonly occur, and they can be dangerous weather phenomena if you’re unprepared.
Stay safe from a potential hailstorm with these simple but effective tips.
Prepare Your Home & Belongings
If you’re at home and safe when a potential hailstorm warning occurs, stay there and do your best to prepare your home and belongings. Get yourself, household members, pets, and any objects that hail could damage inside or in your garage, including your cars.
For those who don’t own a garage and don’t have time to find a covered public one, you’ll want to protect your vehicle with a car cover or blanket to provide a cushion. It’s probably a good idea to take pictures of your car before the storm for insurance purposes in case you have to file an auto hail damage claim afterward.
Seek Shelter
Those who are away from home when a hailstorm approaches will want to seek shelter immediately if they can. If you can make it home before the hail begins, you should, but you don’t want to push it and get caught on the road as hail falls.
Look for a public building where you could ride out the storm, like a nearby gas station or grocery store. Even small hail can cause injury, so immediately get a roof over your head.
If You’re Caught Driving in a Hailstorm
What if you’re driving and aren’t near your home or any buildings you can shelter in? If there’s one nearby, an overpass or bridge can offer some protection, but they can also be magnets for other cars seeking shelter and become a traffic mess.
Your best bet may be to pull over safely on the side of the road and hunker down. You’ve still got a roof over your head with your car, and that’s safer than nothing.
Pro Tip
Do not park under a tree for shelter—trees can be blown down during a storm or drop heavy branches on cars.
Avoid Windows
Whether you’re hunkered down in your car, in a public place, or at home, you’ll want to avoid windows at all costs. It’s tempting to watch the hailstorm because it’s such an unusual and rare weather phenomenon. But windows shatter and break from hail all the time, and you don’t want your face near them when that happens!
Pro Tip
If in a car during a hailstorm, angle yourself so your head is down and your back is to the windows. Cover yourself with blankets, clothes, or anything you have in case the glass shatters.
Close all the windows in your home, draw the curtains, and stay away from them during the hailstorm. Don’t be caught window watching when a golf-ball-sized hail breaks through a window in your home!
