Experts issue warning about dangerous force behind increasingly common home damage: 'I'd never seen that before'

Hail is becoming an increasingly severe and costly weather event that's leaving bystanders both amazed and terrified. 

"I'd never seen that before," Roofing USA owner Andrew Shick told Wired about the three-inch hailstones that damaged metal roofing in an Illinois community he was visiting.

What's happening?

NBC News reported in late 2024 that hail was outpacing hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes for costly storm damage. 

Insurify added that the United States has logged $50 billion in damage in each of the last two years from the type of storms that often include hail. It's part of the reason homeowners are seeing higher insurance premiums in many parts of the country. 

Hail forms when raindrops are caught in thunderstorm updrafts and freeze after reaching colder altitudes. The ice ball grows as more rain attaches, eventually falling to the ground, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Why is the hail trend important?

Hail can damage vehicles, homes, and other properties it hits. As a result, insurance companies are hiking rates to compensate for the damage, which amounted to just $1 billion 15 years ago, Wired reported. 

Every severe weather event isn't a result of air pollution and our warming planet. But experts from NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other institutions agree that conditions favorable for extreme hail, heat waves, droughts, and more are increasing. 

Wired reported that samples of hail weighing nearly a pound have been collected. Ice chunks that size are hard for even reinforced roofing to withstand. 

And the falling balls aren't going unnoticed upon impact. 

"I thought it was a gun," Nebraska resident Barb Berlin told NBC about a hailstorm she witnessed. 

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What's being done to help?

ICECHIP is a project that includes a hub of experts who study how hail forms, falls, and impacts communities. The data could better help with forecasts and preventative measures. 

Innovative building materials, some inspired by Lego, are in development to better withstand extreme weather. And advanced forecasting tech leveraging artificial intelligence could soon give neighborhoods greater warning about potential natural disasters. 

Staying informed about changing weather patterns and how they affect different parts of our world can help in a variety of ways. 

If you plan to move soon, knowing where insurance rates are spiking because of increasing storm risks can help you avoid costly living expenses, for example. 

Conversations with your friends and family about hail and other perils raise awareness about dangers and solutions, as well. 

As for the damage toll, chances are good that it will continue to rise as long as hail is falling. 

"We're building more things," Becky Adams-Selin, a researcher involved with ICECHIP, told Wired. "Hailstorms are naturally gonna strike more often because we're creating a bigger target."

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