P. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH HAIL - FIGURE 21 Rationale: The number of days with hail is a variable of importance due to the potential for damage due to these severe storm events. The major importance of the inclusion of this variable is to identify areas with a high risk of hail damage, and to indicate where design alterations need to be considered. This variable is considered a potential exclusion variable. Reliability of the Data: This information was taken from a NOAA document titled "Climates of the United States" and is an extrapolation from various weather reporting stations. More important, however, is the absence of information regarding hail size, which is the best indicator of potential damage due to hail. Absent hail size data, the decision was made that the presence of more than four days of hail per year should yield a reasonable probability of large size hail. Therefore, areas were mapped in Figure 21 that exhibited more than four days of hail per year, with the intent that this information be used as a proxy for hail size. Spatial Coverage: 1469 grid cells are indicated as being subject to potential hail damage. Q. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THUNDERSTORMS - FIGURE 22 Rationale: The number of days with thunderstorms was included because of the possibility of damage due to lightning. This information is considered as a potential exclusion variable, both from the perspective of damage and also from the standpoint that alterations may be required in the design of the rectenna. Reliability of the Data: The number of days with thunderstorms is intended as a proxy variable for lightning density. At this time, a detailed study is underway at Rice University under the direction of Dr. Arthur A. Few to compile a detailed map of the risk posed by
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