Why here
Alberta’s hail corridor runs roughly from Calgary north through Red Deer to Edmonton, and it produces some of the costliest hailstorms in Canadian history. The 2020 Calgary storm remains among the most expensive insured events the country has recorded.
The season is short — broadly May through September, concentrated in June and July — and intense. What makes it distinctive for property owners is how local it is. A single cell can pass over a few communities while leaving adjacent ones completely dry.
What that means for weather alerts
Regional weather data tells you a storm occurred near a location. It cannot tell you a specific property was affected, and any service implying otherwise is overstating what the data supports.
The only way to know is for somebody to look. That is the entire case for an out-of-cycle check after an event rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit.
Where damage shows
Roof damage frequently is not visible from the ground and does not leak immediately. Compromised shingles can hold until the next significant rain or the following spring melt — which is why a hail event and the water damage it eventually causes can be months apart, and why documentation at the time matters.
- Impact marks and spatter patterns on siding, fascia and trim
- Dents on soft metals — gutters, downspouts, flashing, vents, air conditioner fins
- Torn or punctured window and door screens
- Granule accumulation at downspout outlets, which indicates roof surface loss
- Cracked or broken glazing and skylights
- Shredded foliage and stripped plants at ground level
- Vehicles and outdoor furnishings left on the property
Before the season
- Move vehicles under cover for the summer if the property will be empty
- Store or secure outdoor furnishings
- Confirm with your broker what your policy covers for hail and what deductible applies
- Ask specifically whether roof coverage is replacement cost or actual cash value — the difference on an older roof is substantial
- Have gutters clear so post-storm debris does not immediately block drainage
- Arrange for a check to be bookable at short notice after an event
After a storm
Book a check promptly rather than eventually. A ground-level inspection documents what is visible and reachable, with photographs, dated.
Where ground-level evidence suggests impact, a qualified roofing professional should assess the roof properly. A property-care attendant photographing a roof from a driveway is documenting, not assessing — the distinction matters, and anyone blurring it is doing you no favours.
Be cautious about contractors who appear in a neighbourhood immediately after a storm. Alberta sees this every hail season. A roofing assessment is worth having; an unsolicited one from someone who knocked on the door of an empty house is worth being sceptical about.
Related questions
What should I do about hail if my Calgary home is empty?
Book a check after any significant hail event near the property, and do it promptly rather than eventually.
Calgary sits in one of the most hail-prone regions in North America, and storm cells are narrow — one community can take severe damage while an adjacent one takes none. Regional weather data tells you a storm occurred near your property; only someone at the property can tell you whether it was affected.
The value of a prompt check is timing. Documentation made within a day or two of an event establishes when damage occurred, which is a far stronger position than reconstructing events from memory months later when a leak finally appears.
A ground-level check documents impact on siding, screens, soft metals, glazing, decks and anything left outdoors. Roof damage frequently is not visible from the ground and does not leak immediately — compromised shingles can hold until the next significant rain or the following spring. If ground-level evidence suggests impact, a qualified roofing professional should assess the roof properly.
Before the season, two practical steps: move vehicles and outdoor furnishings under cover where possible, and confirm with your broker what your policy covers for hail and what deductible applies.