Canberra's hail record, suburb by suburb
20 January 2020: the north and the inner south
The storm tracked from Belconnen over Black Mountain into Barton, Manuka and Griffith, then south-east through Fyshwick. The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience says hail penetrated roofs, caused flooding and broke windows and skylights in homes and businesses.
Repairs that dragged on
The Canberra Times found one 1930s Griffith home still had a holed, leaking roof and sagging ceilings almost two years later. The storm produced 74,660 ACT insurance claims, so after a big one it pays to get your claim and your roofer lined up early.
Tuggeranong and Belconnen get their turns
Hail up to 5 cm across fell on Tuggeranong on 31 December 2006 and on central Canberra and Belconnen on 27 February 2007, when it lay 20 cm deep in the city centre. On 3 January 2022, golf-ball hail hit West Belconnen and Tuggeranong, and the ACT SES took more than 800 calls.
What hail does to different roofs
Tiled roofs crack where stones land hardest, usually on the slopes facing the storm. A cracked tile can look fine from the street and still let water through, so a roofer needs to check up close. Monier says storm-damaged tiles can be replaced one by one rather than relaying the whole roof.
Steel roofs dent rather than crack. BlueScope says hail dents don't usually shorten the life of a Colorbond roof, but on low-pitched roofs big dents can hold water, and bent overlaps can let it in.
Skylights and polycarbonate are the weak points. If one cracked, cover the room below and get it replaced quickly, because water comes straight through. Our hail and storm damage page goes deeper on each type.
After a Canberra hailstorm
Stay off the roof and ladders
Wet tiles and dented steel are slippery, and hail can hide broken sheets. Take photos and video from the ground or a window.
Call your insurer early
Moneysmart says to contact your insurer as soon as practical, even before you know the full damage, and to talk to them before paying for temporary repairs. Many insurers can arrange a tarp. For storm emergencies, the SES is on 132 500.
Be wary of door-knockers
The Insurance Council of Australia warns that disaster chasers knock on doors after storms, offering quick repairs or claiming to represent an insurer. Insurers say they won't send a tradesperson without telling you first.
What to ask before a Canberra roofer starts
- Can you write up the hail damage with photos I can send to my insurer?
- Are you replacing only the broken tiles, and can you match the old ones?
- On a steel roof, are any dents holding water or opening the laps?
- Does any of this need building approval, or is it repair work only?
- Is my house old enough to have asbestos sheeting, and how will you check?
What we'd do
We'd get the roof made watertight within days of a hailstorm, with the insurer told first, rather than waiting for a full scope. Then we'd have a roofer check every slope, including the ones that look fine, because cracked tiles hide well. If repairs keep coming back on an old roof, the national roof repairs page helps you weigh it up, and the Canberra hub covers the wider ACT picture.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.