Hail belt metros: each county's hail record and where to find a local roofer

The counts side by side

NOAA's Storm Events Database records the hail events below for each metro's core county from 2016 through 2025. The last count column is the number of calendar days with at least one report of 1-inch or larger hail, which separates a county that sees many storms from one that logs many reports from a few storms.

Metro by metro

Dallas-Fort Worth

Tarrant County's largest stone of the decade came on June 12, 2023, when broadcast media shared a photo of a 5-inch hailstone in Mansfield. On the Dallas side, the June 13, 2012 storm dropped hail up to baseball size in the Lakewood area, left holes in some roofs, and carries a $900 million property damage estimate. NCEI's FAQ calls damage figures broad estimates and notes they aren't adjusted for inflation.

Denver

Denver County's count is modest next to the other counties here, but the stones can still be large: the database lists 2.75-inch hail on May 30, 2024 in the Denver International Airport area, noting that the report includes Northfield and Central Park. The directory's Colorado roofer page covers the suburbs outside the city limits.

Colorado Springs

El Paso County's 696 reports of 1-inch hail are the most of any county on this site, spread over 126 separate days. The August 6, 2018 hailstorm in Colorado Springs sent eight people from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to the hospital and is recorded with a $172.8 million damage estimate.

Oklahoma City

On May 29, 2012, hail from 1.25 to 2.75 inches damaged 8,000 to 10,000 vehicles and numerous homes in the Edmond and Nichols Hills areas, according to the event record. More recently, a storm chaser reported 4-inch hail near Harrah on May 17, 2025.

Wichita

The state record fell here: the September 15, 2010 hailstone over west Wichita measured 7.75 inches across, breaking the Kansas record for diameter. Sedgwick County also logs 368 thunderstorm wind events from 2016 through 2025, more than any other county on this page.

Omaha

On August 18, 2011, the first of two supercells to cross the city dropped hail up to softball size across northern and eastern Omaha, with some of the largest stones falling toward Eppley Airfield.

Minneapolis

Hennepin County's largest recent report is the August 11, 2023 storm in Minneapolis: mostly golf ball-size hail in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood, with a few stones of 2.5 to 3 inches.

Hail days and the near-me search

A hail day sends a whole zip code to the same search box at once. Because Google weighs distance, everyone on your street sees roughly the same short list. Widen the net: check the metro's page on the National Roofing Directory, then run each name through your state's rules on the directory's roofing licensing by state page before you book an inspection.

If you're replacing a roof that hail has already beaten, the directory's explainer on Class 4 impact-resistant shingles covers what that rating means before a salesperson brings it up.

Frequently asked questions

Which hail belt metro has the most large-hail reports?

Colorado Springs. NOAA's Storm Events Database records 696 hail events of 1 inch or larger in El Paso County from 2016 through 2025, nearly twice Tarrant County's 380.

Does a high county count mean my roof was hit?

No. The counts cover the whole county, and each event page lists the location where the hail was reported. Look at the event pages near your neighborhood, then have your own roof inspected.

Where do these hail reports come from?

NCEI's FAQ says the National Weather Service collects reports from sources including emergency managers, law enforcement, SKYWARN spotters, NWS damage surveys, the insurance industry and the public. NCEI adds that hail sizes are assigned from each stone's appearance.