Gene Moore has learned never to underestimate how quickly a small hailstorm can suddenly turn unbelievably fierce. Hail does not necessarily come from a big dark cloud, sometimes it can be very bright and the sun can be out and tremendous hail stones can fall out of a fairly bright sky. At Texas Tech University it hails on a regular basis. This man-made hail is shot from cannons at up to 90 miles an hour to test roofing materials. The popular composite shingles, dented on one side, can crack on the other, leaking into your home.
Wood shingles fare better, but the best stuff is pressed concrete and fibre cement tiles.
Car dealers are often among the hardest hit when spring hail storms come calling. Back in May of '95 more than a thousand automobiles were damaged.