{
  "id": 10197203,
  "title": "This weather threat costs us billions. And it’s about to get worse.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/this-weather-threat-costs-us-billions-and-its-about-to-get-worse",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-27T11:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Vox",
    "slug": "vox",
    "url": "https://www.vox.com/climate/504064/hail-damage-climate-change-insurance-science-ncar"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A costly weather hazard, hail, is causing billions of dollars in damage each year and is expected to become even more severe. Research at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) aims to help protect lives and property by studying the hailstones that strike the earth, damaging roofs, crops, and cars. The specialized lab in Boulder, Colorado, where temperatures hover around minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, analyzes the layers of icy growth in hailstones to reveal the conditions in which they formed. This information helps researchers understand how the hailstone grew, which can improve forecasts and warnings.\n\nHail accounted for 60% to 80% of the damage from severe thunderstorms from 2023 to 2025, totaling more than $50 billion nationwide. In Colorado, one of the most hail-prone states, hail is the main factor driving up insurance premiums. With climate change, larger and more damaging hailstones are expected to become more common. The \"expanding bull's-eye effect,\" a term coined by scientists, refers to the connection between the increasing human footprint and higher insured losses.\n\nA recent field campaign, ICECHIP, led by Atmospheric and Environmental Research, has been collecting data on hail for the first time in over 40 years. This comprehensive study includes analyzing hail on the ground, in the atmosphere, and its impact on the storm environment. The project's goal is to improve hail forecasts, make warnings more precise, and help communities better prepare for future hail events.",
  "summary": "This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk Collaboration. At a specialized cold lab in Boulder, Colorado, where indoor temperatures hover around minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius), atmospheric researcher Anthony Bernal Ayala slices hailstones with a band saw, revealing layers of […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Hail causes $50 billion+ in damage annually in the U.S.",
    "Colorado experiences most hail damage, driving up insurance costs",
    "ICECHIP study aims to improve hail forecasts and warnings"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}