Raising Hail: What We Learned at HailTrace's 2026 Storm Season Kickoff

What Is the Raising Hail Tour?

The Raising Hail Tour is an annual nationwide event hosted by HailTrace, one of the leading weather data providers used by roofing contractors and forensic engineers. Founded by Derik Kline — a self-described weather nerd and veteran storm chaser from Oklahoma — HailTrace produces the storm-path and hail-size data that's become a standard reference across the industry.

The tour hits six cities every year, and the Denton stop is always a big one for Texas contractors. The agenda walks through forecasting, severe weather science, damage identification, and how the broader claims environment is changing. It's emceed by broadcast meteorologist Taylor Cox and packed with industry-leading speakers.

2025 Recap: The Quietest Hail Season in a Decade

One of the first things Derik covered was the 2025 season recap. If you felt like last year was quiet, you weren't imagining it — 2025 was the lightest hail season Texas has seen in the last 10 years.

But here's the thing most homeowners don't realize: a quiet hail year doesn't mean your roof is fine. If your home was hit in 2023 or 2024 — both of which were significantly more active — that damage is still there. Hail damage doesn't heal itself. Granule loss, bruised shingles, and compromised flashing from previous storms continue to degrade your roof every day.

2026 Forecast: Get Ready, Texas

This is the session everyone shows up for — Derik Kline's annual hail forecast. And the message for 2026 was clear: expect increased hail activity across Texas.

After the light 2025 season, atmospheric conditions are aligning for a more active severe weather year. The factors that suppressed storm development last year are shifting, and Central Texas sits right in the crosshairs. For homeowners in Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, and the surrounding areas, the takeaway is simple: now is the time to make sure your roof is inspected and any prior-year damage is documented before the next round of storms.

Pairing Weather Data with Forensic Inspection

One of the most valuable sessions was presented by HailTrace and Orlo Forensics (led by Todd Stern). They walked through how precise weather data and forensic causation inspections fit together to produce documentation that clearly ties damage on a roof to a specific storm event.

HailTrace maps show the size, path, and timing of hail events down to the property level. Forensic inspection technique connects what's visible on the roof to the storm record. The result is a clean, factual report — exactly the kind of evidence a homeowner can bring to their insurance carrier when they're deciding whether to open a claim.

At Hive, we already use HailTrace data in our inspection process. This session reinforced that we're on the right track and gave us new techniques to make our damage documentation even sharper.

Thorough Documentation

The final session featured Merlin Law Group, one of the top insurance policyholder law firms in the country. They covered current trends in coverage denials, recent legal updates affecting Texas policyholders, and the kinds of documentation that hold up under scrutiny.

The biggest takeaways for us as a roofing contractor: documentation quality matters more every year, and Texas homeowners have meaningful protections in their policies. We're not lawyers and we're not adjusters — but the better our report is, the better-equipped a homeowner is to have a real conversation with their carrier (or, if it comes to it, with their own attorney).

Why This Matters: Hive Is Always Stacking Knowledge

I want to be straight with you: not every roofing company invests in this level of education. A lot of contractors show up after a storm, knock on your door, and move on to the next town. That's not us.

At Hive Roofing & Solar, we're consistently investing in our team's knowledge. We attend events like the Raising Hail Tour. We maintain our HAAG certification. We use the latest weather data and inspection technology. We stay current on what adjusters are looking for in the field. Because when we show up to inspect your roof, we want to give you the most complete, accurate picture possible. What you do with that picture — including whether to file a claim with your carrier — is your call, not ours.

You're only one storm away from needing a roofing company you can trust.When that day comes, you want someone who's already done the homework — someone who knows the forecast, can identify storm damage to the same standard adjusters use, and will hand you documentation you can actually use.