Hailstorms often strike quickly, take place within a small radius, and last but a few minutes, bringing with them heavy winds and rain. Although meteorologists have become skilled at predicting their occurence and location, hail always takes people off guard when it arrives. Hailstorms strike in a localized manner reminiscent of tornadoes. Golf ball-sized hail will leave the rooftops in one neighborhood damaged; and but a short distance away, homes are left unscathed.

During the spring and summer months, and even into the fall, a number of regions in the United States are susceptible to potentially damaging hailstorms. In some states, such as Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas (dubbed "Hail Alley"), anytime between April and October is fair game for a hailstorm. A region of Colorado called "Front Range" receives the highest frequency of large hail in the world. Although they're localized, these storms can leave considerable damage in their wake. Rooftops, of course, are often a hailstorm's prime target, but windows, siding and cars aren't excluded, either.

Pea-sized hail usually won't cause you any property damage. Meteorologists have determined that property damage usually does not occur unless hailstones are approximately 1.5 inches in diameter (in other words, golf ball-sized). Anything larger than 1.5 inches is likely to cause significant rooftop and siding damage and breakage to windows, as well as dented cars and cracked windshields.

If you live in one of the previously mentioned states which are most susceptible to hailstorms, you probably pay particularly close attention to your daily weather forecasts and know that in the event of a hailstorm warning, you should keep yourself and your car under cover. If a hailstorm is especially violent, keep away from windows, skylights and glass doors.

If the forecast is predicting the arrival of a hailstorm, you can take a couple of measures to minimize the damage to your home; although the damage you'll be avoiding will be from rain associated with the hail and not necessarily the hail itself. There's not much a homeowner can do to protect his rooftop from being hit with falling ice pellets. However, if your roof has any holes, you can cover them to prevent flooding and damage to your home's interior. The same goes for broken glass that you've been putting on your "to do" list to repair. Cover broken windows to prevent flooding.

Once the storm has passed, it's time to conduct a damage assessment of your home. You can actually gauge the likelihood of damage to your roof by looking at a number of things on the ground. Study the trees, bushes and shrubbery, landscaping and other plants around the exterior of your home. If they're showing noticeable signs of distress -- missing or hanging branches, branches stripped of their leaves -- your roof may be damaged. If you have awnings, a patio cover, a trellis or other screens outdoors that are dented, collapsed or otherwise in disrepair, your roof could be damaged. And, of course, if you're looking at golf ball-sized hail sitting in your backyard, chances are good your roof suffered. If nothing else, you probably lost shingles during the high winds.

If you have, indeed, experienced any significant damage to your home following a hailstorm, you may be covered for hail damage under the terms of your homeowner's insurance policy, depending upon where you live. In Hail Alley states, opting not to purchase coverage for hail damage would be equivalent to playing Russian roulette. After calling your insurance company to schedule a damage assessment, you'll want to make any temporary repairs within your abilities. Place temporary patches over damaged places on your roof, and cover any broken or shattered windows.

Conduct a thorough inventory of your home's interior and exterior, looking for any signs of damage, and keep a written record of damaged spots both inside and outside your home. Decide what is realistically within your capabilities to repair, and call a professional to take care of the rest. If you've never been faced with the task of calling a professional to perform roof repairs, you'll need to be selective in your screening process. In an accompanying piece, we'll discuss a few tips you can take to heart while locating the right contractor for the job.