The problem
Hail causes billions of dollars in property loss each year in the United States. While the meteorological community focuses on understanding where, why, and when hailstorms occur, the insurance industry works to quantify the impact of hail on society. Damage from hailstorms severely affects homes, businesses, and crops.
State Farm involvement
In the 1990s, State Farm began working with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS; then known as the Insurance Institute for Property Loss Reduction), key laboratories, and manufacturers to develop impact-resistance test standards and Impact-Resistant Roofing (IRR) materials to combat hail damage. State Farm continues to partner with IBHS in its research initiatives to advance science related to hail. State Farm remains an industry leader in encouraging residential roofing manufacturers to develop better impact-resistant roofing.
The impact
State Farm roofing material research led to the development and approval of two American National Standards Institute (ANSI) impact standards, a State Farm policyholder Impact-Resistant Roofing Premium Discount Program, and ultimately, the manufacture of higher-quality roofing products.
