HOW HAIL GETS REPORTED TO NOAA 2010 CHANGES
Changes on the way for hail warnings
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Hail measuring three-quarters of an inch in diameter will no longer be considered a symptom of severe weather by the National Weather Service.
Beginning Jan. 5, hail must reach 1 inch in diameter or winds reach speeds greater than 58 mph in order for the NWS to issue a severe thunderstorm warning.
The decision comes after four years of National Weather Service research and independent studies, including Texas Tech research that found significant roof damage does not occur until hail reaches 1 inch in diameter, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Web site.
Seth Nagle, a meteorologist in San Angelo, said the weather service tested the new standards in the Midwest before applying them nationwide.
“Eighty-six percent of the responses were supportive of this,” Nagle said. “Of the 63 responses, 52 rated it 8 or greater as a positive change.”
Although the weather service’s Web site cites “concerns about the public becoming desensitized by numerous warnings” as one reason for the change, Nagle said it did not play a key role in the decision.
“It was simply related to, ‘At what point does hail really cause damage?” Nagle said.
Mark Rowlett, KTXS-TV chief meteorologist, said the National Weather Service met with local meteorologists to explain the decision and to answer questions. During the meeting, Hector Guerrero, warning and coordination meteorologist with the weather service, pulled a nickel and quarter from his pocket to illustrate the difference between old and new criteria.
“They’re still going to note three-quarter-inch hail in the storm reports, but the fact that they were close in size just means it’s not going to be a big issue for people and their safety,” Rowlett said.
Some homeowners might be as concerned for the safety of their roof as themselves. Harold Word, owner of American Roofing in Abilene, said significant damage does not occur until golf ball size or larger, but smaller hailstones can leave visible marks, exposing shingles to the elements and damage over time.
“The marks knock the grain off, and the sun will deteriorate (the shingle) in not too long,” Word said. “The grain protects it.”
Roofs may be able to take smaller than 1-inch hail with minimal damage, but vehicles are a different story.
“If there’s a lot of it, nickel-size hail will cause some damage,” said Claud Champion, owner of Barrett Collision Center and Body Shop in Abilene. “Especially in your newer, lighter made cars, metals are relatively soft.”
Joe Perez, owner of J & R Body Shop in Abilene, said even dime-size hail could cause minor damage.
“Nickel-size will pretty much do around $4,000 of damage to a car,” Perez said. “But mother nature hasn’t been good to the body shops. We haven’t had a good hailstorm in a couple of years.”
Patti Kelly, public affairs and media relations specialist for State Farm Insurance, said the weather service terminology change won’t affect insurance claims processing.
“It does not have any bearing on how we handle claims,” Kelly said. “We will look at each claim on its own merits.”
A storm with the ability to produce three-quarter-inch hail likely can produce 1-inch hail, as well, Rowlett said. Rarely are severe thunderstorms warnings issued because of wind alone.
“I don’t think it’s going to change a lot; wind and hail sort of go hand-in-glove,” Rowlett said.
The hail revision might result in fewer warnings, but Rowlett does not foresee a significant decline.
“I think they’ll err on the side of caution,” he said.
Local television stations do not issue severe weather warnings independently from the weather service but will issue “significant weather advisories” if they observe imminent danger not yet acknowledged by the National Weather Service.
The 1-inch criteria was implemented in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota and other Midwest states on April 1. Fourteen states, including Texas, will be added beginning in 2010.
