We can be responsible for certain events, such as a car accident or the breakage of a telephone. On the other hand, there are some for which nothing can be done and which are totally random, such as climatic events.
That’s why guarantees exist in your insurance to protect your property against storms, fire, flood and hail.
What is hail?
The particle of ice is called a hailstone. Its diameter is generally between 5 and 50 mm, which is the size of a golf ball.
Added to the speed, which can go up to 193 km/h, hail can cause significant damage to your home, your car or even outdoor furniture.
Depending on the nature of the damage, it can be more or less expensive, which is why it is better to anticipate and be well insured.
How to protect your vehicle from hail
If you have a car insurance policy with high levels of coverage thanks to the all-risk insurance formula, you are probably covered. Global coverage can compensate you or reimburse necessary repairs in the event of a claim.
This is usually damage caused by hail, which sometimes leads to dents in the bodywork, broken glass and even, but it’s really only in the event of a very large hailstorm, water damage in your car.
In the event of a claim and claim for compensation, there is usually always a deductible. The higher your premium and your guarantees, the lower your deductible will be. And vice versa.
However, if you live in an area where hailstorms are common, you should expect to pay the deductible out of pocket after filing a hail damage claim.
Insurance covers hail, but what steps can you take to avoid hail damage?
1. Check the weather before going out
In the event of a weather alert, check the weather before setting off. Estimate if you can make the round trip to your home without risk of being caught in the middle of a severe hailstorm.
Note that hail is not always dangerous. A light storm is not much more intense than a heavy rain. However, if a storm is brewing, stay at home or plan a means of transport other than your vehicle in order to protect it.
2. Look for a covered space
The second recommendation is to always look for a covered space for your car to shelter it when not in use. If this is not possible, equip yourself with a thick tarp to run your vehicle.
Insulate the paint from direct contact with the ice because hail, when it melts, can leave stains on your bodywork.
If you cannot avoid a hailstorm, park until the intensity subsides. Prefer a sheltered place: a covered car park, a petrol station, etc.
Hail wets the road, sometimes floods it and can cause dangerous skids, sometimes fatal.
If you don’t have a covered space nearby, park on the side of a tall building, facing away from the direction of the wind. Thus your car is protected from hail falling in the opposite direction.
3. Build a garage
We agree, it’s easier said than done and it depends a lot on your financial situation. Note that less expensive solutions exist such as wooden shelters. If you live in an apartment and/or in town, consider renting a garage or a parking space in a covered place.
Is my home insured in the event of hail?
Hail, like wind and snow, is included in the “storm” guarantee and not “natural disasters”.
Therefore, it is not necessary for a ministerial decree to declare a state of natural disaster for you to be compensated for the damage suffered.
This risk is covered by the multi-risk home insurance contract (MRH). So you will be compensated in the event of a damaged roof, for example.
On the other hand, with regard to the furniture, everything depends on the guarantees taken out, whether you have opted for a new replacement or at its current value.
This information can be found in the general conditions of your contract. If in doubt, do not hesitate to contact your adviser.
What to do against hail when I am a farmer
Climate change and increasing climate variability have become critical issues for agricultural production. Every day, the producer is attentive to the vagaries of the weather and alert to episodes that could damage his harvest.
Often the weather plays a bad trick on crops.
To protect their crops, farmers sometimes use anti-hail nets. Sometimes, alas, this is not enough to prevent disaster.
This is why producers are increasingly turning to the cover offered by insurers by taking out policies against hail, fire, wind, frost and soil erosion.
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