So far this year, insured losses from severe convective storms have topped $60 billion. That includes damaging hail storms.
Today, Victor Gensini and Walker Ashley at Northern Illinois University and others published a study that concludes hail size is going to get larger in the future, thanks to the warming temperatures that are feeding stronger updrafts in these destructive storms.
Just like the tornado story a couple of weeks ago about the work of Victor and Stephen Strader, the big issue is that climate change is a threat multiplier, with greater risks posed by our expanding population. Twenty or 30 years ago large hail and tornadoes could occur in big empty fields and no one would be the wiser. Today, if there are houses and businesses sitting where those empty fields used to be, the risks and costs are greater.
Read our story in USA TODAY Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK here:
While scientists haven't definitively concluded that hail is already getting larger, there have been numerous reports to the National Weather Service of grapefruit-sized hail in several states this year. I noticed something this morning about the weather service list of largest hailstones on record. Each record for a larger hailstone is more recent than the last.
- Vivian, South Dakota, 2010: 31 ounces, 8 inches in diameter, 18.6 inches in circumference.
- Aurora Nebraska, 2003: 7 inches in diameter and 18.75 inches in circumference. Weight not available.
- Coffeyville, Kansas, 1970: 27 ounces, 5.7 inches in diameter and 17.5 inches in circumference.
Potter, Nebraska,1928: 24 ounces, 5.4 inches in diameter.
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