Hail in Ionia · Apr 14, 2026
The estimated-size surface reached 2" aloft; NEXRAD logged no point detections over Ionia that day. At 2" — tennis ball — this is a severe hail signal associated with roof damage. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · Apr 14, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The most severe storm Ionia 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
- 50 /100
- Homes exposed
- 60 /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 Ionia 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.
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.
Only the radar-estimated size surface resolved for Apr 14, 2026 — this storm produced no NEXRAD point detections over Ionia, so there is one map to show, not two.
The storm in context
Where Apr 14, 2026 sits in Ionia's hail record.
This was Ionia's 1st recorded hail day — the first hail day in our records for the city. By severity it ranks 1st of the 4 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Ionia at 2" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The Apr 14, 2026 convective day was bigger than Ionia: the same system put hail over 476 other tracked cities, 143 of them in Iowa. Nearest: Alta Vista (7 miles north, up to 1.75"); Charles City (10 miles west, up to 2"); Nashua (14 miles south, up to 1.5").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 4 Ionia 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.
Nobody on the ground filed a report over Ionia for this date, which says more about who was watching than about the storm: spotter reports only exist where there is an observer. The radar surfaces above carry the evidence for this one.
Severe hail signal
What 2" hail means for Ionia roofs.
Two-inch-plus hail is capable of puncturing shingles, breaking skylights or windows, and heavily denting soft materials. The strongest radar bands warrant prompt inspection, but neither the signal nor the footprint confirms damage at a specific address.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$12M
Potential roof exposure — 1,018 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 5 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$75K
Close just 0.5% of the 1,018 homes in this footprint at the average $15,000 roof job. Illustrative math, not a projection — your results depend on your outreach and how the market responds.
Claim window
April 2028
Claims from this storm can typically be filed until around April 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 $214 on top of the $150 plan.
Estimated-size surface Aug 10, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 2, 2026
2"
Estimated-size surface Jul 1, 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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