New technology is changing how insurers investigate hail claims

After a hailstorm like the one that swept through Denton April 3, insurance adjusters used to hit the streets to investigate claims with little more than ladders and tape measures. Over the last few years, however, the industry has moved to Google-style online maps that let companies survey properties in the path of a storm, “see” damage through satellite and aerial photography, and even estimate the number of replacement shingles a roof needs without anyone climbing up on it. The result, the insurers and other experts say, helps companies quickly pay claims with the most visible damage while flagging other less cut-and-dried cases for further investigation.