Record-Breaking Hail Events Mark the Start of 2024’s Severe Storm Season

The onset of the 2024 severe convective storm season has already set new records, eclipsing the significant insured losses of 2023’s storm season. On March 13 and 14, a powerful upper-level disturbance triggered numerous severe storms across the central United States, with hail reports reaching unprecedented levels. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center noted a single-day record on March 14, with 78 hail reports indicating diameters of 2 inches or more.

CoreLogic’s analysis estimated that hail of at least 1 inch in diameter impacted around 660,000 residential properties over these two days. Kansas and Missouri were particularly hard-hit on March 13, with Johnson County in Kansas experiencing hail larger than 3 inches, capable of causing severe roof damage. The subsequent night saw severe hail affecting nearly half a million homes in states including Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Arkansas, with significant concentrations around St. Louis.

These early storms of 2024 are prompting concerns among insurers, as severe convective storms were once considered secondary perils but are now causing losses comparable to major hurricanes. The industry is being urged to closely monitor and quantify severe convective storm risks to manage potential catastrophic losses by the year’s end, especially if compounded by a major hurricane.