There isn’t much to surviving a hail storm so long as one is aware of two things: how to recognize the conditions for an impending hail storm and the best area to seek shelter. Hail storms are not random occurrences and follow distinct rules and weather patterns. Also, shelter has to be specific as well or heightens the risk of injury or death.
For a hail storm to occur there must be two factors present: thunderstorm clouds and a strong updraft. While storms typically produce hail within their cloud layers, the majority of it melts before reaching the ground, turning into rain. Other times dust or other nuclei will combine with super cooled water in the upper atmosphere and freeze, or many small hailstones will combine together before becoming too heavy to remain aloft. Many large storm systems and tornado or cyclonic weather patterns have the necessary strong updrafts to produce large hail. In other regions, mountains can provide the needed conditions, which is why hail is common there as well.
Certain Doppler weather systems attempt to track cyclonic weather formations and other areas that could produce hail and alert people in advance, but the systems aren’t very reliable for predictions. Since thunderstorms are a key condition be alert for storm activity and seek shelter from approaching storms. The best shelter available would be inside a building away from windows, skylights, and anything else that could possibly break from hail impact. Lesser places include cars and other temporary shelters, but are not recommended. While a car or vehicle may provide safety from minor hail sizes like pea to half dollar size, walnut to softball sized pieces are dangerous.
Even being prepared for instances of larger sizes of hail won’t be enough to help. Professional Storm Chasers in Tornado Alley know full well the effect large hail can have on vehicle windows. After having softball-sized hail destroy windows and dent metal, some teams rig their vehicles with wire mesh and special metal guards to protect their windows and still emerge with harrowing stories of how they barely escaped with their lives. Sometimes even a metal guard isn’t enough to save a window, and the shattered glass can do as much or more damage than the ice impacts if wounded in the right places.
If by circumstance people are caught in the outdoors with no form of shelter the best place would be close to the trunk of a broad branched tree while keeping one’s head covered at all times. The tree leaves and branches won’t stop larger pieces of hail but can help absorb their momentum to reduce impact damage. Although rare, people can be killed from head injuries sustained damages so it is important to keep the head protected at all times, even if the stones aren’t as large.
