DENVER — Researchers with the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) just wrapped up a daring field campaign where they deployed portable roofs in front of severe hailstorms on the central plains.
In this first of its kinds study, they successfully deployed 28 rooftops into severe hailstorms with stones measuring 1 to 2 inches. The science teams are now evaluating the damage back at the IBHS laboratories in Chester County, South Carolina.
They also got a unique look inside large hailstones by slicing them with a hot wire cutter. Also, a new technique for field research.
“We believe some of the secrets about why hailstones are as strong as they are or maybe how soft they are lies in that internal structure," said Ian Giammanco, the lead research meteorologist for IBHS. "We've dissected hailstones in a laboratory setting but there's great value in being able to immediately cut them open, and having such a wide variety of stones to choose from."
The goal is to cut down on the monster price tags that come with hail damage. He said the estimated $1 billion metro Denver storm from this May and the $2 billion storm from May 2017 might just be the tip of the iceberg for a booming Colorado Front Range.
“The targets just gotten really, really big and so now you’re looking at the $3-4 billion storm," he said. "Is $5 billion in the cards? I think it probably is if we’re not going to make any changes to how we build.”
He said most of the roofs damaged by the latest metro Denver storm will just get replaced by the same subpar materials. He hopes this daring research will lead to new hailstorm provisions in building codes.
“And the next time they have to get replaced, with that code in effect, it means the more durable materials are going to go onto roofs," he said. "This is the way we’re going to take a bite out of the damage that’s produced every single year.”
Giammanco gave huge credit to the city of Fort Collins, which is the first and only place in the country to actually install hailstorm provisions into their building codes.
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