Want to protect your car from potentially damaging storms, hail damage and flash floods? Here are some tips for doing just that during stormy season… or at least trying! Increasingly, even in Europe, we find ourselves experiencing a wide range of adverse weather conditions, and not just in the winter but throughout the year. These also include destructive storms accompanied by hail and sudden floods. For those who do not have a garage or a covered parking space, protecting their car from hail or rain during this time of the year can be particularly difficult.
In addition to making safe driving more difficult, storms can also produce hazards such as large grain hail, fallen trees or branches, and flooding, all of which cause problems for vehicles large and small. This is why having a hail cover is very useful.
Hail cover: why?
According to research conducted by a well-known insurance company, less than a third (29%) of us have a plan in place to prepare for damage caused by the weather. But how to do it? Here are some steps that should be considered if you want to minimize the chance of your car suffering damage from hail, storm or flood this year.
Sign up for the services of the Civil Protection to receive advance alerts
But not only the Civil Protection, many other associations offer early warning or emergency services to citizens, often the municipalities themselves. These often come in the form of text messages or push notification alerts that you can subscribe to, which are then sent to your phone when a storm makes its way to where you live.
Protect your car
If a severe thunderstorm is coming and you are worried about your car, consider a visit to your local mall. It will most likely have a covered car park where you can leave your vehicle, although you may want to check the center opening hours first, as some shopping center car parks will only let you in while the shops inside are open. You could even go see a movie, as many cinemas have covered parking spaces, whether they are in shopping malls or not. This can help protect your car from damage caused by hailstones and storm debris. Or equipped with a removable hail cover, so you don’t have to wait for permits to build a shed near your home. If you’re caught with just a few minutes’ notice and no cover, one option might be to throw some relatively heavy blankets over your car and tie them up. This could help protect your car from a number of things a storm could throw at it, most notably hailstones and small branches. A professional anti-hail cover to always keep in the car, however, is certainly a better solution.
Keep the car away from bodies of water
If you live near a stream, river, or lake and think there may be a flood or a thunderstorm along the way, find a place to park your car that is on higher ground or far enough away from the body of water to ensure you more safety. Otherwise, you could run the risk of your car being damaged by water.
Keep the sorrounding environment clear
Inspect the area around your home, or wherever your car is parked, for potential dangers. Loose roof tiles, overhanging branches and TV antennas can pose a threat to your car in strong winds. A little time spent taking preventative measures to protect your car from hail and other storm damage could help reduce the risk of a severe headache (and costs) after the event.
Of course, you may also want to check what your auto insurance would cover if your car was damaged by hail, floods, or other storm-related disasters. Prevention, however, is always better than taking care and getting information not only on insurance policies but also on anti-hail covers is certainly a good way to invest your time, especially in anticipation of the bad season and all that that entails.