StormProof → guides
Field guides
How weather evidence actually works in claims: where the official record comes from, what it proves and refuses to prove, and how the people who argue claims for a living use it. Written from the same NOAA sources our reports cite — nothing here is legal or public-adjusting advice.
How to document the date of loss for a hail claim
The date of loss decides coverage, deductible, and sometimes the whole claim. How to pin it to the official NWS record instead of memory.
Fighting a denied hail claim with NWS records
When a denial says "no storm of record," the official record is checkable. How to use NCEI Storm Events in a reconsideration or appraisal.
SPC storm reports vs. NCEI Storm Events: which to cite, when
NOAA publishes a same-day preliminary feed and a slower official record. Citing them correctly — and labeling which is which — is what makes weather evidence hold up.
What counts as "severe" hail — and why 1 inch is the line
The NWS severe criterion is 1-inch hail (quarter size). Where the threshold comes from and how it relates to roof damage claims.
Hail size reference: coins, balls, and what the record calls them
Pea to softball: the standard size ladder used in NWS reports, in inches, with the damage classes adjusters associate with each.
Wind damage claims and the 58 mph severe threshold
Why 50 knots / 58 mph matters, measured vs estimated gusts in the record, and using wind rows when the dispute is wind-vs-hail.
Proving a hail date when nobody photographed the storm
Most hail damage is discovered long after the storm. The reconstruction hierarchy: official records first, corroboration second.
Evidence standards for supplements: adding weather records to an open claim
Supplements live or die on documentation. Where official storm records fit in a supplement package alongside photos and line items.
Date-of-loss disputes when multiple storms hit the same address
Hail alley properties see several qualifying storms per policy period. How the record disciplines the which-storm argument.
Claim deadlines and why the recorded storm date controls the clock
Filing windows run from the date of loss. What the official record contributes — and what is a question for the policy and state law, not a data site.
How adjusters actually verify hail claims
The carrier-side verification workflow — weather pull, inspection protocol, test squares — and where independent records fit.
Radar-estimated hail vs ground reports: what each proves
MESH swaths and ground truth answer different questions. Why honest verification leads with reports and labels radar inference.
How to read a Storm Events narrative like an adjuster
Event vs episode narratives, magnitude conventions, begin/end coordinates, and the fields that matter in a dispute.
Getting certified weather records from NCEI
When a dispute escalates, certified copies of the official record exist. What NCEI certifies, what it costs, and when a verification report is enough.
Who assembles the weather evidence: PA, contractor, or policyholder?
The same record serves three roles differently. Lane lines that keep weather evidence credible — and licensing traps for contractors.
Roof inspection after hail: what professionals document
The inspection protocol that pairs with the storm record: collateral indicators, test squares, and photo discipline.
Weather evidence in the appraisal process
When a claim goes to appraisal, both panels argue from records. Preparing weather evidence that an umpire can check in minutes.
Engineer reports vs weather records in hail disputes
Forensic engineering opinions and official storm records answer different questions. How they interact when a claim is contested.
Cosmetic damage exclusions and the storm record
Metal-roof endorsements that exclude "cosmetic" hail damage make recorded size and function the battleground.
When is hail season? Regional timing from the record
Hail concentrates in a predictable seasonal window that shifts by region. What 30 years of Storm Events shows, and why the tail months matter for claims.
SPC daily storm reports, explained
The same-day preliminary feed: convective days, UTC times, size in hundredths, UNK winds — the parsing details that prevent misreading.
The NCEI Storm Events Database, explained
The official NWS storm record since 1950: what it contains, its known gaps and era effects, and how to cite it.
Wind vs hail damage: telling them apart, and why the record matters
The two perils damage roofs differently and are sometimes covered differently. Physical signatures plus the dated record constrain the argument.
Verifying a storm-chaser's claims before signing
Door-knockers follow real storms — usually. A two-minute check of the official record protects homeowners and honest contractors alike.
Using weather records in roofing sales — without crossing lines
Storm data is a legitimate canvassing tool when claims about it stay factual. Practices that build trust and the ones that draw regulators.
Hail frequency and your premium: how the record shapes underwriting
Carriers price hail exposure from the same historical record. What rising deductibles and cosmetic endorsements respond to, by the numbers.
NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure. Per-address verification reports live on HailEvidence.