Hailstorms Are Increasing in Strength, Hailstones are Reaching Enormous Sizes and Insurance Costs Ar

[Elderberry]

By Strange Sounds May 26, 2020

Hailstorms Are Increasing in Strength, Hailstones are Reaching Enormous Sizes and Insurance Costs Are Skyrocketing – An Overview of the Hail Apocalypse in the U.S.

Recently, an investigation into a hailstorm that took place in Villa Carlos Paz, Cordoba Province, Argentina on February 8, 2018, reported that a hailstone some 9.3 inches in diameter may have fallen during a storm there.

If verified, the Argentine hailstone would surpass the U.S. record holder, an 8-inch-diameter stone collected near Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010. That hailstone was said to have actually been 11″ in diameter before a portion of it melted prior to being officially measured. However, the Argentine hailstone will likely never become an official record, since its size was estimated only from video evidence and not from any first-hand measurements.

With peak U.S. hail season at hand, here is a compilation of the costliest and deadliest hailstorms in U.S. history, along with a summary of the largest hailstones yet observed in the United States.

U.S. hailstorm climatology

Hailstorms in the U.S. normally occur during the months of May to August as opposed to tornado frequency peaking in April and May.----

Costliest U.S. hailstorms

It is now estimated that in the U.S. hailstorms cause an average of $15 billion in damage to homes, cars, and crops each year.

Phoenix experienced the single most damaging hailstorm in U.S. history on October 5, 2010, with a tab of $3.2 billion (adjusted to 2018 dollars).----

Deadliest U.S. hailstorms

In spite of the enormous crop and property damage that hailstorms cause, only three people are known to have been killed by falling hailstones in modern U.S. history:----

Largest U.S. hailstones

The largest officially recognized hailstone on record to have been “captured” in the U.S. was that which fell near Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010. It measured 8.0″ in diameter, 18.5″ in circumference, and weighed in at 1.9375 pounds.

More: https://strangesounds.org/2020/05/usa-hailstone-hailstorm-records.html