Hailstorms are frequent occurrences that usually don't cause extensive damage. However, a severe storm with hailstones up to 3 inches in diameter can cause significant damage to your house, property and cattle & crops. Such an incident was recently experienced in Ranga Reddy district in Andhra Pradesh where hailstorm of the size of boulders not only caused immense damage to farmers but also took the lives of nine people.
If you follow some simple precautions to prepare for a hailstorm, you will keep yourself safe and minimize the damage to your house, cars, etc.
1- This is the first and the golden rule, always be vigilant about the weather and atmospheric conditions in your city or district. Be weather wise!
2- Don't forget to bring small kids and your pets or cattle inside, as they are more susceptible and vulnerable to injury.
3- Do not underestimate the intensity of the hailstorm. Even if the local weather agency forecasts hailstorms that are not so intense, make sure to keep the cars parked under cover in the garage.
4- Protect the roof of your house from damage by covering it with plastic or aluminum sheets so they can bear the brunt incase the hailstones are too big and roof doesn’t get broken or dented in any way.
5- During a hailstorm, avoid stepping out to see it since hailstones are not the only thing that can injure, hailstorms are often accompanied by violent lightning.
6- Those on the road should stop and take cover during a hailstorm. Hailstones can dent the roof of the car and damage the windscreen. So pull over and be safe inside your car.
7- Hail falls at fast speeds, and it can cause injury to those in its path. Therefore people riding two wheelers are often much more exposed to the bad weather and damage from the piercing hailstones than those with four wheelers. Bikers should remember to wear some extra protective layer of jackets and hand gloves to prevent injury.
8- Though farmers are being educated nowadays about crop insurance which can help in case of inclement weather, preparing for an adverse situation beforehand can save a lot of hassle. And as they always say, prevention is better than cure. Be it crops or your own private small garden, always cover them with a tarp. A tarp can be quickly stretched across the top of the fence to protect plants from hail damage.
Be safe but also enjoy the bright side of rainy days, and of course be ‘weather-wise’!!