Commercial Building
Missouri
Forensic Meteorology, Forensic Engineering
2024
Haag was retained to determine the cause and extent of hail-related damage to a facility located in St. Louis, Missouri. Our team of forensic consultants provided both forensic engineering and forensic meteorology services to identify the specific thunderstorm event responsible for the hail damage. This required a detailed weather analysis to support the client’s assessment needs.
The forensic meteorological analysis included a six-year historical review of hail-producing thunderstorms at the site. Our experts analyzed Doppler radar data, National Weather Service (NWS) warnings and statements, and local storm reports to narrow down the most likely storm dates. The weather analysis revealed two recent severe thunderstorms had impacted the property—one moving from the southwest to northeast, and the other from the northwest to southeast.
Forensic engineering was then employed to inspect the facility and evaluate the size and directionality of hail impacts. The inspection found that both storms likely produced hail at the site; however, spatter marks were most prominent on north and west-facing surfaces, with fewer and smaller marks on south and east-facing surfaces. This directional evidence, combined with the meteorological analysis, supported the conclusion that the hail damage was most likely caused by the storm that moved from the northwest to the southeast.
This case demonstrates the importance of integrating forensic meteorology and engineering to accurately determine the timing, source, and impact of weather-related damage. By applying precise storm and wind analysis and hail pattern evaluation, Haag delivered a reliable and defensible assessment for the client.
Jared Leighton, CCM, is a Forensic Meteorologist with Haag, a Salas O’Brien Company. Based near Kansas City, Jared Leighton has over 16 years of experience in meteorology. He has spent the last decade as Senior Forecaster for NOAA National Weather Service in Kansas City, Missouri, and as a General Forecaster and Meteorological Intern prior to that position.
Mr. Leighton has extensive, comprehensive experience in NWS forecast operations across multiple geographic areas, including frequent supervision of severe and winter weather watch and warning operations. He regularly conducted storm surveys, both solo and as storm survey team lead, including multiple tornadoes in Kansas and Missouri, as well as the severe weather event on September 15, 2010, in which 7.75 inch hail occurred in Wichita, Kansas (the second largest certified hailstone recorded in the US). Mr. Leighton led and participated in several research teams, resulting in five peer-reviewed formal publications as well as presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. He also organized local storm spotter training in coordination with emergency management and led the Storm Ready community preparedness program.
Mr. Leighton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of California Davis. He is an American Meteorological Society Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM #783).
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