Our wind-driven hail tore up siding on houses, broke windows, shredded landscaping and, of course, dented cars.
As we all know there is a plethora of hustle and bustle going on in the housing and construction industry and the biggest hustle and bustle has been the most recent deluge of monsoon rains and hail. So, settle in and enjoy our article.
Tom: Hi Sandy, is your phone ringing off the hook from all this weather we have been getting, especially with the hail?
Sandy: Hail yes, it has. Flood stuff, mud stuff, but mostly hail damage stuff. I am amazed at just how destructive hail can be.
Tom: Ok, my Wikipedia of hail damage, what is hail?
Sandy: Hail 101: How does hail form? Hailstones are formed when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze. Hailstones then grow by colliding with our monsoon rains that freeze onto the hailstone’s surface. If the water freezes instantaneously when colliding with the hailstone, cloudy ice will form as air bubbles will be trapped in the newly formed ice. However, if the water freezes slowly, the air bubbles can escape and the new ice forms.
Tom: I am liking this Hail 101 class. So how does hail fall to the ground?
Sandy: Hail falls when it becomes heavy enough to overcome the strength of the thunderstorm updraft and is pulled toward the earth by gravity. Just like we have seen with our recent hailstorm, hail can fall at an angle or even nearly sideways! Our wind-driven hail tore up siding on houses, broke windows, shredded landscaping and, of course, dented cars.
I bet you now want to know how fast hail falls. This is a very complicated answer. The fall speed of hail primarily depends on the size of the hailstone, the friction between the hailstone and surrounding air, the local wind conditions (both horizontal and vertical), and the degree of melting of the hailstone. For small hailstones (< 1 inch in diameter), the expected fall speed is between nine and 25 miles per hour (mph). For hailstones that one would typically see in a severe thunderstorm (1 inch to 1.75 inch in diameter), the expected fall speed is between 25 and 40 mph. In the strongest supercells that produce some of the largest hailstones, one might expect to see (2 inches to 4 inches in diameter), the expected fall speed is between 44 and 72 mph.
Tom: Sandy, how does one estimate the size of hail?
Sandy: Hail size is often estimated by comparing it to a known object. Most hailstorms are made up of a mix of different sizes. Pea size hail is about ¼ inch diameter. Mothball size hail is about ½ inch diameter. Penny size hail is about ¾ inch diameter. Nickel size hail is about 7/8 inch in diameter and quarter size hail is about 1 inch in diameter.
Tom: As we can see from Hail 101, our area experienced lots of damage primarily based upon ½ inch size hailstones and larger.
Sandy: Thank goodness we did not experience the golf ball size hail stones. That would have been a major destructive force of damage to our area.
I am getting calls about roofs, of course, but also damaged siding, stucco damage, windows and even cars!
Tom: Well, that’s what you get when the world knows who YCCA is and what they do.
Sometimes the damage doesn’t get noticed right away. Folks would do themselves a real service by walking around their homes after a storm and looking at all the surfaces.
Sandy: That’s a great suggestion. For homes that are on hilly terrain, it might be best if they had a pair of binoculars instead of getting on a ladder.
Tom: Sometimes you can see your roof across the street or from the next block and the binoculars really let you see the condition of your shingles.
Sandy: Asphalt shingles and metal roofs sustained the most damage, based on the calls I am receiving. However, calls are coming in about manufacture homes and the foam roof coverings as well.
Tom: Have you had calls pertaining to landscaping?
Sandy: Heck yes. Out by the Dells, many homeowners had their landscaping shredded by the hailstones – yards and yards of plants and bushes left without a leaf in place.
Tom, it is important to share with our readers that hail damage, as we experienced in our area, the dents and bumps, do not cause leaks. Unless a window was shattered by hail, everything remains in good shape until new replacement items can be put in motion.
Tom: Absolutely good to mention. Hail and wind and rain will knock the granules on an asphalt roof off, but no leaks will occur.
Sandy: With the number of calls, everyone needs to be patient. Our roofers are working as hard and as fast as they can.
Tom: I, of course, would agree. We all know how very busy everyone is right now and unless the damage is serious, I agree, be patient.
Sandy, it is important to share with our readers that with any major weather event, an area will get the less-than-upright solicitors from somewhere else, swooping in to take advantage of people when they need help. Sandy, when doing battle with the nefarious “carpetbaggers,” what advice can you give our readers on determining the authenticity of a solicitor?
Sandy: Use licensed local roofers. Do not turn your insurance over to third party companies for negotiating and handling the claim for you. Make sure you have a contract that describes the work to be performed, material to be used, etc. I have seen out-of-area contracts that have just had a dollar amount. Please be aware and beware!
Thanks for stopping in to read At Home with Tom and Sandy. You’re in good company and we love sharing educational, fun and important information with you. QCBN
Tom Reilly, Architect, Renovations, 928-445-8506 renovationsaz.com
Sandy Griffis, Executive Director, Yavapai County Contractors Association, 928-778-0040
Remember to tune in to YCCA’s Hammer Time every Saturday and Sunday morning 7 a.m. on KQNA 1130 AM/99.9 FM/95.5FM or the web kqna.com. Listen to Sandy and Mike talk about the construction industry and meet your local community partners. Hammer Time is a great way to start your weekend.
