Quick Summary:
- Move to covered parking, fuel stations with canopies, or multi-storey garages.
- Stay inside the vehicle, face away from hail, and protect eyes.
- Photograph all sides, roof, glass, and tyres with clear timestamps.
- Report promptly with location, time, weather notes, and supporting images.
Hail is a real hazard in Texas, especially during spring and early summer storm systems that can build fast and drop ice with little warning. If you are using a car hire in Texas and hail starts, your priorities are simple: keep people safe, find the best available shelter, then document what happened in a way that reduces confusion later. The aim is not to “prove a point”, it is to create a clear timeline and an accurate record of any damage so the return process is straightforward.
If you picked up from a major airport location, you may be driving long highways between cities where shelter is limited. It helps to know in advance what “good shelter” looks like, and how to collect evidence without putting yourself at risk. For reference, these are common starting points for trips across the state: Fort Worth DFW car rental and Austin AUS car rental. Wherever you collected your vehicle, the same steps apply.
Step-by-step actions when hail begins
1) Get off the road safely. Hail often arrives with sudden low visibility, slick surfaces, and drivers reacting unpredictably. Signal early, slow down gradually, and avoid hard braking. If you are on a freeway, aim for the next exit rather than stopping on the shoulder, which can be dangerous if other vehicles lose control.
2) Prioritise personal safety over the car. Dents and broken glass are a problem, but injuries are worse. If hailstones are large, stay inside the vehicle with your seatbelt on. Keep your head away from side windows and the windscreen. If you have passengers, ask them to sit back, keep hands away from glass, and avoid leaning forward to film the storm.
3) Choose the best available shelter, not the perfect one. The “best” option is the nearest sturdy overhead cover you can reach safely without racing. In Texas, this is often a fuel station canopy, a bank drive-through overhang, a car wash bay (if open), or a multi-storey car park. Avoid driving far out of your way while hail is actively falling, because collisions are a bigger risk than dents.
4) Position the vehicle to reduce damage. If you cannot get fully under cover, angle the front of the car into the direction the hail is coming from, because the windscreen is laminated and generally more resilient than side windows. Keep some distance from other cars. Doors can be damaged by a neighbour swinging theirs in high wind, and you do not want another vehicle sliding into you.
5) Switch on hazard lights if visibility drops. Use hazards if you are moving slowly or stopped in a safe location and other drivers may not see you. Turn on headlights as well. Avoid stopping under trees, as branches can break and fall in hail and gusts.
Where to shelter a car hire during a Texas hailstorm
Multi-storey car parks and parking garages. These are typically the safest option because they offer solid overhead cover and some side protection. In central areas of Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, garages are common near shopping centres, hospitals, and office buildings. If you are travelling through the city, quickly searching for “parking garage” on your phone can be useful, but only do this when you are already stopped safely.
Petrol stations with deep canopies. A canopy can reduce impact, but it is not guaranteed to protect the entire roof, bonnet, and boot. Pull in centred under the deepest part of the canopy, not the edge. Do not block pumps if possible, and be mindful that other drivers may rush in.
Open car wash bays. If the bay is open and safe to enter, it can provide strong overhead cover. Do not drive into an automatic wash tunnel unless staff direct you and the system is running normally. Flooding can accompany hail, and standing water can hide hazards.
Underpasses and bridges. Many drivers instinctively stop under an overpass, but this can be extremely dangerous and may be illegal. Stopped vehicles can cause pile-ups, and wind can still drive hail into the sides. If you need to slow for safety, keep moving to an exit and find a proper shelter instead.
Residential driveways and portable shelters. Only use a private driveway if you have permission and it is safe. Do not pull into someone’s garage without consent. In some neighbourhoods, covered carports exist, but avoid tight manoeuvres in low visibility.
After the hail passes, check for damage without creating new risks
1) Wait for the storm to fully clear. Hail can come in waves. If it pauses for a minute, do not rush out. Watch for lightning, and only exit when you are confident the danger has passed.
2) Do a slow walk-around. Look for broken glass, sharp debris, and puddles. If a window is cracked, do not touch the edges. Photograph first, then decide what to do next.
3) Do not attempt temporary “repairs” that can complicate assessment. Avoid pushing dents out, applying tape over paint, or rubbing debris into the surface. If you need to prevent rain entering through a broken window, take photos first, then use a clean plastic sheet if available.
4) Decide whether the car is still safe to drive. If the windscreen is shattered, a headlight is broken, or you have a warning light related to sensors, it may be unsafe or unlawful to continue. If the car drives normally and glass is intact, you can usually proceed carefully and report the incident.
Different regions have different driving patterns, but hail risk exists statewide. If you are heading south, San Antonio SAT car rental travellers should be especially alert during fast-moving thunderstorms. If you are driving in a larger vehicle, SUV hire Houston IAH routes can still be vulnerable, since hail dents roofs and bonnets regardless of ride height.
How to document hail damage to reduce disputes at return
The most common return disputes are not about whether hail occurred, they are about when it occurred, what was damaged, and whether the damage shown at return matches the incident. Your goal is a clean, time-ordered set of evidence that is easy for a human to understand.
1) Capture time and location immediately. Take a screenshot of your phone showing the current time and your location on a map, or photograph a nearby street sign plus your phone lock screen time. If your camera app records metadata automatically, still take at least one “context” photo that shows where you are, such as a petrol station name, a garage entrance sign, or a distinctive landmark.
2) Photograph the car in a structured sequence. Use a consistent pattern so nothing is missed. For example:
Exterior wide shots: front, front-left, left side, rear-left, rear, rear-right, right side, front-right. Step back far enough to include the full panel lines.
Roof and bonnet: hail dents often cluster on horizontal surfaces. Photograph the roof from each side, and the bonnet from the front corners. If you have a sunroof, include it.
Glass and lights: close-ups of windscreen, rear window, side windows, mirrors, headlights, tail lights, and indicators.
Wheels and tyres: hail can damage hubcaps and sometimes cause sidewall cuts if debris is thrown around. A quick photo of each wheel is useful.
3) Use close-ups with scale. For dents and chips, take a close-up plus a second close-up with a familiar object for scale, such as a coin or your car key fob. Do not press objects into paint, just hold them next to the mark.
4) Record a short video walk-around. A 20 to 40 second video helps show the overall condition and continuity. Slowly pan across the roof and bonnet where dents are common. Speak the date, time, and location out loud in the video for clarity.
5) Photograph the interior only if relevant. If water entered through a broken window or you see wet seats, photograph it. Otherwise, focus on exterior damage, which is where hail issues typically appear.
6) Keep the originals. Do not edit photos with filters or heavy cropping. Send copies, but keep the original files on your phone so timestamps and metadata remain intact if requested.
Reporting tips that help rental teams process hail incidents
Report promptly, but only once you are safe. Contact the provider using the method listed in your rental documents. When you report, keep it factual and specific: the time hail began, when it ended, your location, where you sheltered, and whether police attended (usually not necessary for hail unless there is a collision).
Write a short incident note for your own records. In your phone notes app, record: date, time window, nearest address or intersection, approximate hail size, and any witnesses (for example, “sheltered under Shell canopy with several vehicles”). This helps later if you are asked to explain the timeline.
Do not guess about pre-existing damage. Simply document what you see now. If you have pick-up photos from the start of the rental, keep them alongside the new set so the before-and-after is clear.
Ask what to do next with the vehicle. If glass is damaged, the provider may advise a swap or direct you to a safe location. If the car is drivable, they may tell you to continue and present the vehicle at return. Following instructions matters more than improvising.
Prevention checklist for the rest of your Texas trip
Once you have dealt with the immediate situation, a few habits can reduce the chance of a repeat incident:
Check forecasts before long drives. In Texas, storm cells can form quickly in the afternoon. If severe weather is predicted, consider adjusting your departure time or route to keep closer to towns with shelter.
Prefer covered parking overnight. Hotels sometimes offer limited covered spaces, so arrive earlier if storms are forecast.
Keep basic supplies accessible. A microfibre cloth, a small torch, and a phone charger help when you are documenting damage in low light after a storm.
Take “baseline” photos at the start of each day. A quick set of wide shots each morning takes under a minute and can clarify when new damage happened.
FAQ
What is the safest place to shelter during hail if I am on a highway in Texas? Take the next exit and look for a sturdy covered area such as a multi-storey garage or a deep fuel station canopy. Avoid stopping under overpasses because it can cause collisions.
Should I stay in the car during hail, or run to a building? If hail is falling, staying in the car is usually safer than running across open ground, especially with lightning risk. Move away from windows and keep your seatbelt fastened.
What photos are most important for a car hire hail claim or dispute? Start with wide shots of all sides, then focus on roof and bonnet dents, glass, lights, and any cracks. Add a short walk-around video and at least one photo showing time and location.
Do timestamps on photos really matter? Yes. Clear timestamps, plus a simple written note of the time window and location, help establish when the damage occurred and can reduce back-and-forth at return.
What if the windscreen cracks and I cannot keep driving? Move to a safe place, document the damage, and report it as soon as you can. Do not continue if visibility is compromised or glass is unstable, follow the provider’s instructions for a replacement vehicle or inspection.
