The recent thunderstorms that pounded eastern Montana should serve as a reminder to crop producers to check hail insurance coverage for their 2007 crops. Last week’s hail storms caused damage to thousands of acres of cropland in eastern and central Montana. In addition to strong winds and hail, about two and a half inches of rain reportedly fell in some of the hardest-hit areas. As a result, fields are so muddy that producers are not able to get out into the croplands to assess the full extent of the damage.