During hail and heavy rainstorms, in Alberta, there is the potential for some of your largest investments to be subject to damage. Generally speaking, hail storms start with little to no warning. This may leave you with varying degrees of damage, to property and vehicles. Hailstones can be small like peas or as large as softballs. The larger the hail the greater the chance of a storm causing injury or serious damage.

An average hailstorm lasts five minutes. While the damage hailstorms cause will cost over 1 billion dollars throughout a city or province. Lasting damage to your property could warrant a claim, or does it?

Protecting your home and vehicle from hail damage in Alberta doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With some helpful tips avoiding a costly claim can be achieved.

You need to carry the correct insurance.

• First and foremost when it comes to submitting a claim for hail damage you need to be sure that you hold the correct coverages. If your vehicle happens to be Liability Only (which we strongly discourage) you will not be covered to make a claim. This only protects other property if you were to cause an accident or damage. You need to have Comprehensive coverage as well to be able to submit a claim.
  
• Secondly, you need to consider your deductibles on your home and vehicle insurance. Does the damage outway what you would have to pay upfront for that claim to come into play? Is it only menial damage that doesn’t really warrant a claim? Do you want to submit a claim for something small and potentially have your insurance rates increase because of it? There are strong things to consider before making a claim for damage that looks no more than regular wear and tear.

Protect your investments.

• If you are at home and you know the weather will likely change, move your vehicles into a garage if you have access to one to help avoid a costly claim.
  
• If you’re out driving take cover as soon as possible. This does not mean clogging up an underpass. This can cause serious accidents. Head for a covered parking lot, gas station or shopping complex with buildings.
  
• If you do not have a covered structure for your vehicle protect your car with a blanket, tarp or as a last resort using your floor mats on your windshield. This might not deter all damage, but it can help!

Consider your alternatives.

• Shingles will react when struck by hail, which doesn’t always mean damage. This is great news! As an example, hail damage to asphalt and composition shingles will look different than hail damage to wood shingles. It is important to be sure of the different effects of the damage to identify whether you have roof damage from hail.
  
• It’s always a great time to consider the benefits of upgrading your homes siding to something more protective like Hardie Board or Stucco instead of Vinyl Siding if you live in an area that has frequent storms. This not only helps you further protect one of your largest investments but could help you avoid a claim in the future.
  
• You may not have a full garage on your property, but there is alternate pop up type carports and coverings that can be beneficial in the long run for the protection of your vehicles.

We know that in Alberta our weather can change at the drop of a hat. If your home or vehicle has sustained damage from hail, contact your broker, or insurance company directly by using our Claims Page. We will help walk you through the next steps and let you know what your policy covers in the event of a claim.