Hail in Bridgewater · May 18, 2026
NEXRAD logged 5 hail signatures up to 1"; the estimated-size surface reached 0.75" aloft. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · May 18, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 2nd most severe storm Bridgewater has seen in the last 12 months
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
- Peak hail signal
- 25 /100
- Homes exposed
- 38 /100
- Ground truth
- 0 /100
Largest radar-indicated size — a signal of damage potential, not confirmation.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
Evidence / storm surfaces
How Bridgewater saw the hail — from two instruments
The maps here read the same storm from two angles — point detections from NEXRAD, and modeled hail size aloft. Where the two disagree is informative: it marks where estimated size outran the signatures, or trailed them.
Radar signature field Where NEXRAD flagged hail as the storm passed — point signatures from the radar, which indicate hail overhead rather than confirm what landed.
Estimated size field The modeled maximum hail size across the swath, derived from radar aloft — the largest stone the storm could have supported, which is not necessarily what reached the ground.
The storm in context
Where May 18, 2026 sits in Bridgewater's hail record.
This was Bridgewater's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 25 days after the Apr 23, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 2nd of the 5 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Bridgewater at 1" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Bridgewater: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 102 of them in Iowa. Nearest: Massena (6 miles southwest, up to 1"); Fontanelle (12 miles northeast, up to 1.25"); Orient (12 miles southeast, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 5 Bridgewater storm dates on a live map — both surfaces, the reports, and a replay — and the same map is where you draw the swath. This page rebuilds nightly.
Ground reports
What people on the ground reported
These are storm reports filed with the National Weather Service and released through the NOAA Storm Prediction Center — public-domain observations from spotters, the public, and NWS surveys. We quote each one exactly as filed.
The National Weather Service logged no spotter reports for this storm over Bridgewater. That absence is ordinary — filing a report takes a person on the spot who saw the hail and phoned it in. What stands as the record for this date is the radar above, which caught the storm regardless.
Damage-capable hail signal
What 1" hail means for Bridgewater roofs.
Quarter-size and larger hail can bruise asphalt mats, remove granules, and dent exposed soft metal. The mapped footprint identifies an inspection priority area — it does not identify which individual roofs, if any, sustained damage.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$984K
Potential roof exposure — 82 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
Claim window
May 2028
Claims from this storm can typically be filed until around May 2028 — the window to reach these homeowners while it's still open. Deadlines vary by policy and state.
Names and phones for every home in the footprint: at most $17 on top of the $150 plan.
Bridgewater hail history
Other storms in Bridgewater.
Estimated-size surface Aug 13, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 20, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jun 5, 2026
2.5"
Estimated-size surface Apr 23, 2026
1"The next storm won’t wait for you.
Set your territory and alerts today. When hail hits, use Overview to choose your streets and get moving.
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Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.