WMOD00057

• Contract/Permit #: #90-3
• Applicant: Western Kansas Groundwater
• Project Name: Kansas Weather Modification
• Date: 9/13/1990
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

V. HAIL DISTRIBUTION

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Figure 5, on the next page, shows the distribution of
sectional crop hail damage insurance claims within the State of
Kansas for 1990 for all crops. There were 54 hail days within the
target area this season through the end of August. Table 3, two
pages following, shows the number of hail days in the VKWM target
area since star~lng the program in 1975 along with"the correspond-
ing number of hail claims within each year's target area. This
year the number of days of hail increased 14,9% over the previous
long-term average of 47. Some of this increase was due 1n part to
the early season hail in April when 5 hail days were recorded prior
to the startup of the WKWK Program. The 1990 season was an above
average year 1n storm severity for most of the state, especially
for Kansas, east of the western and southwestern districts.

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The usual phenomonen occurred again this season as discussed
in previous final reports: that is, crop hail damage in the
participating counties of the WKWM target area tracked the damage
pattern for the state as a whole. When we look at year-to-year
numbers of insurance claims submitted, we find for years in which
the numbers submitted for the entire state rise from the previous
year, so too will the numbers rise inside the VKWK target area, and
vice-versa, if the state numbers decrease. For example, in 1989
there were 5,788 claims submitted for the entire state---1946 of
them in the WKWM target area. This year, by Sept. 1, 1990, there
were 16,766 claims for the state, a 190% lncrea$e in hail damage
from 1989. However, the 2,927 claims submitted in the WKWM target
area amounted to only a 50.4% increase aver 1989. That number i$
still greater than we would like to see, nonetheless, the number of
claims submitted was only the third greatest of the 16 years of
program operation and did not set any new record in that category.

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A quick glance at Figure 5 shows there were several counties
outside of Southwest and West Central Kansas that had more hail
than did anyone of the counties within the WKWM target area. Mast
notably Sheridan County, one county north of Lane County. had the
"honor" of submi tting the most hail insurance claims this season---
796; second was Ness County with 665. Ness borders Lane County on
the east. Inside the target area Gray County had the greatest
numbers of insurance claims with 538 and Stanton with 494.

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The top six days of hail damage to the target area were:

June 19th. . .. . . . . . . . . . . .840 claims (record for all years)
June 9th............... .542 claims
Kay 11th. .......,... '" .394 claims
May 18th........, ,.....168 claims
June 14th............... 137 claims
July 15th-.. . , , , . . . . . . . . ,119 claims

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6 days. . .., . . . . . . . . . . .2,200 claims (75.1%)

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