It's been six years since the record-setting South Texas hail storm

SAN ANTONIO — Many San Antonians remember the shattered car and home windows and roofs after the hail storm on April 12, 2016 that set records for insurance claims and jammed up the insurance claim filing system for months.

The hail storm caused $1.4 billion in insured losses for homes and cars and is considered one of the most expensive in history.

 For several weeks after storm, insurance companies had to deal with a massive influx of claims by setting up “pop-up” claims checkpoints and brought in fleets of rental cars from other Texas cities. 

Some insurance companies even used drones to survey home damage when there were not enough insurance adjusters to make to every home.

Despite the severity and intensity of that that storm, it would be five years later that South Texas was the site of the largest single hail stone in Texas history.

The National Weather Service said the giant hailstone fell in Hondo, Texas, on April 28, 2021, and measured 6.4 inches in diameter. The giant piece of ice set the Texas record for largest hailstone.