Hail Damage from Recent Storms in Arkansas

We are working on roofing, fascia, gutter, and other projects to repair damage from recent hailstorms. We wanted to share some information on hail damage in this blog. Hail can cause minor or major damage to roofing, gutters, fascia, eaves, siding, and other components of a home.  Hail is also sporadic – hail may damage a home, but the home right next door has no damage.  Hail is unpredictable and is one of the most destructive weather events in Arkansas.

What is hail? What are hail stones?

Hail is a frozen form of precipitation that falls from the sky during, before, or after thunderstorms. Hail is frozen because it is coming from above the freezing level in the atmosphere. Hail stones are frozen rain drops – hail stones are the balls the precipitation forms that we see on the ground. Not all hail stones make it to the ground – so there could be hail in the atmosphere above us which melts in the warmer atmosphere before it gets to where we can see it. When we do see hail stones, the size ranges. In Arkansas, we have seen pea sized hail to large baseball sized hail stones. The strength of the storm’s updraft dictates the size of hail stones. The color of the hail stone – more white or clearer (ring like)– happens as the hail stones go through atmospheric changes before, we see them land on the ground.  Sometimes, hail and sleet are used synonymously – but hail and sleet are not the same thing. Sleet does not occur during thunderstorms – only happens in cold temperatures. 

Hail Damage

In 2024, there were 27 confirmed weather events with losses or damages exceeding $1 billion with 11 categorized as severe weather and hail events across the country. It is estimated that hailstorms cost billions a year. There were about 133 days of damaging hail, which is above the 20-year average of 121 days. Hail is destructive and can cause severe damage. Tornados are a much bigger threat to life, but hail stones generally cause a lot more damage to property.  Severe convective storms or storms that can produce hail or tornadoes are 50% to 80% of homeowner insurance claims. Damages from hail can break windows, damage roofing , fascia, flashing, and eaves, dent gutters, doors, or siding, damage fences and decks, and cause other damages.

What to Look for to Identify Hail Damage

With hail damage, damage can be visually apparent such as broken windows or dented doors. But in other cases, damage may not be noticed immediately. We suggest having your roof inspected after severe storms to make sure you don’t have any damage that may not be seen on the surface. We will get on your roof and examine your property and related components to identify damage, if any.

Newer asphalt roofs will have more resilience against severe storms and hail stones. As granular loss occurs over time, a shingle will become weakened and is not as resistant to hail as it once was. Asphalt roofs are measured in hail damage to see how many hail divots or dings are in a specified sq ft measurement. Metal roofs may have aesthetic dents but if they don’t impact the integrity of the roof, those can be considered as more of an aesthetic than actual damage by insurance companies. Here are some photos of damages from hail and storm damage in Arkansas

Identify Storm and Hail Damage – What to Look for:

• Dented shingles, torn roofing, missing shingles, or lifted shingles

• Damaged eaves, fascia, or soffit – look for water stains, broken seams, open cracks, and tears

• Dents in gutter, gutters hanging off the roof, downspout missing, or broken seams

• Fencing falls or leans, nails are loosened from posts, or broken or missing fence posts

• Deck handrails broken or missing, damage to stairs, problems closing gate

• Broken windows, dinged siding, or dented doors

If you think you may have damage, please schedule a free roof inspection so we can get on your roof and check it out. For more information on roofing, check out our roofing contractor and residential roofing pages. For questions or to schedule a roof inspection, please call 479-231-1199 or contact us.