North Texas counties top U.S. list of places most at risk from hail damage
Spring storm season has arrived, which means hail — a threat to roofs, cars, and solar panels across North Texas. Storm alerts from the National Weather Service Fort Worth office in the past two days have warned of up to quarter-sized hail and damaging winds for the area.
A recent study by home service site, Roof Gnome, ranked counties across Texas who were the most at risk from hail damage. Dallas and Tarrant counties landed among the top five.
The highest annual total expected economic loss in North Texas came out to over $59 million to nearly $103 million. Texas falls in the central region of the U.S. most prone to severe storms.
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Tarrant County is quite familiar with storm damage. A study by Stacker.com, a digital data journalism outlet, last year shows the county has the worst weather in all of Texas based on the number of extreme weather events occurring in the area.
“The cost of damage to cars, buildings, and crops from U.S. hailstorms averages about $15 billion a year, compared with about $1.2 billion in the 1990s,” the report states. “One reason for the higher price tag is the development in regions prone to hail storms like Tarrant County, Texas, where Ft. Worth is located.”
Texas counties most at-risk from hail damage
Here;s how the latest study was done: Based on three categories, the study evaluated more than 600 counties in the United States that had a moderate to high risk of hail. It considered the number of homes with solar panels and garages, the projected economic loss from hail storms, and the overall danger of hail among seven other metrics.
Dallas county ranked as number 1 for the most at risk and Tarrant county ranked at number three. Here are the Texas counties as ranked:
Texas counties most at-risk from hail damage, Rank among U.S. counties
Dallas (1)
Tarrant (3)
Denton (11)
Childress (16)
Collin (20)
Potter (22)
Bexar (32)
Travis (38)
El Paso (49)
Morris County (56)
According to the study’s website, nearly 7,000 hail events occurred in 2023. Scientists predict that the U.S. will see stronger and more frequent hail storms in the coming years due to climate change.
Hail can cause flooding, break windows and roofs, clog storm drains, and harm people and animals. It can also harm other pricey components of your house like your HVAC system, solar panels, and gutters.
The site recommends people repair or replace damaged windows and make sure gutters are covered by insurance to prepare for damage by storms. According to the National Weather Service, people should also listen for “Severe Thunderstorm Watches” for the county and consider pulling over or delaying travel when a storm arrives.
