A B737-400 FLC FLIES TOO CLOSE TO A TSTM DURING A N DEP FROM SEA. ACFT ENCOUNTERS HAIL 5 MI FROM THE STORM. DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION AT DEST ARPT THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE.

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A TSTM WAS RPTED APPROX 15 NM N OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE. WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE STORM AND ALSO ACFT RADAR SHOWED THE STORM. THE FO AND I TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT PLANS OF ACTION TO GO AROUND THE STORM AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN SEATED ON THE CLBOUT; IN CASE OF TURB. WE WERE APPROX THE 10TH ACFT TO DEPART TO THE N. OUR RTE ON THE MAP DISPLAY SHOWED US REMAINING CLR OF THE STORM PLUS THE WX TO THE W WAS CLR AND OUR DEP RTE TAKES US OUT TO THE W. RIGHT AFTER TKOF AND SWITCHING TO DEP CTL; WE WERE TOLD THAT A COMPANY ACFT THAT WAS #2 IN FRONT OF US WAS IN HVY RAIN AND NO TURB. AS WE STARTED OUR TURN TO THE W CLBING APPROX OUT OF 6000 FT; WE ENCOUNTERED HAIL IN VMC CONDITIONS. THE FO CONTINUED TO TURN L OFF OF OUR DEP RTE AND I ADVISED DEP CTL THAT WE WERE TURNING OFF COURSE FOR WX 'WE HAD ENCOUNTERED HVY HAIL.' THE HAIL LASTED FOR APPROX 7 SECONDS. AFTER CLRING THE HAIL; WE REJOINED OUR RTE. THE FO AND I CHKED THE ACFT ENGS AND SYS AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. WE ALSO CHKED THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS AND THEY LOOKED OK. THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOTHING UNUSUAL TO RPT. THERE WAS NO TURB AT ALL DURING THIS ENTIRE EVENT. THE FO AND I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO OUR DEST; KETCHIKAN; AK. UPON THE PREFLT INSPECTION ON THE KETCHIKAN RAMP THE FO DISCOVERED BOTH RETRACTABLE LNDG LIGHTS WERE BROKEN AND THE HORIZ STABILIZERS HAD SEVERAL DENTS. THE ACFT WAS HELD OVER THERE FOR MAINT REPAIR TO THE LIGHTS AND HORIZ STABILIZER AND LEADING EDGE OF VERT TAIL. I FEEL THAT WE DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. NEXT TIME I'LL GIVE A WIDER BERTH. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR AREA AND BEING IN VMC CONDITIONS ALL OF THE TIME. I ASSUME THE TSTM THREW HAIL OUT FROM THE TOP OVER ONTO US.