Don’t Get Dinged by Hail This Season

It’s been an active season for hail storms this year, leading to significant personal property damage. The obvious thing to do is put your car in the garage and stay inside. But what if you don’t have a garage? Here are some quick and inexpensive fixes—IF you know hail is a possibility and can hunker down at home.

● Old Blankets – You can duct tape some old blankets to your car—just be sure to affix the tape under the car.

● Floor Mats – Putting your floor mats under the windshield wipers can protect your front windshield. You can also use floor mats to protect the hood, roof and back windshield, but without a way to secure them, they could blow away if high winds accompany the hail.

● Bubble Wrap – Duct tape and bubble wrap would provide even more protection than old blankets

● Large Buildings – Try to park close to a large building on the side that’s opposite of the direction the hail is coming from. For example, if the hail is coming from the east, try to park on the west side of a tall building so it provides a barrier.

● Find a Parking Garage – This is probably the easiest thing to do if you do not have a garage at home. Always keep a mental note of where the nearest parking garages are and if hail is looming, park in one.

If you have comprehensive coverage, it will help pay for the damage the storm caused to your vehicle. If you are a Shelter customer and you have a brand new car that sustained enough damage to total it, our new car replacement may apply—and it’s automatically included in your policy.