Damaging precipitation can refer to HAIL, which is a form of precipitation that consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice. HAIL is created when updrafts in thunderstorms carry raindrops upward into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere where they freeze and become larger. When the hailstones become too heavy to be held aloft by the storm's updrafts, they fall to the ground. HAIL can cause significant damage to crops, vehicles, and other structures.