Rising hail damage drives billion-dollar losses as climate research intensifies
Severe thunderstorm losses topped $50 billion from 2023-2025, with hail responsible for most of the damage, prompting a costly new research effort.
A surge in severe thunderstorm claims has pushed annual losses above $50 billion between 2023 and 2025, with hail responsible for the majority of the damage. At NCAR, atmospheric researcher Anthony Bernal Ayala slices hailstones to read their layered growth, revealing formation conditions never before accessible. The ICECHIP (In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains) project, backed by an $11 million NSF grant, deployed radar trucks, drones, high-speed cameras and balloon-borne probes during a six-week spring 2025 sweep of the Central Plains and Front Range.
Findings show climate change may foster stronger updrafts, allowing hailstones to grow larger and more destructive. Simultaneously, rapid residential expansion along Colorado’s Interstate 25 corridor has turned previously open land into high-value targets, a trend dubbed the “expanding bull’s-eye effect.” Local governments, such as Fort Collins, are tightening roofing standards and offering grants for impact-resistant materials, while researchers aim to translate laboratory insights into more resilient building practices.
Why it matters
Understanding hail’s growing threat is crucial for protecting homes, businesses and insurance systems from escalating climate-driven losses.
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