Hail in Rockwell City · May 17, 2026
NEXRAD logged 0 hail signatures up to 1"; the estimated-size surface reached 0.5" aloft. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · May 17, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 6th most severe storm Rockwell City 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
- 34 /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 Rockwell City saw the hail — from two instruments
Each storm gets two readings: the radar signatures NEXRAD recorded as the cells passed overhead, and a modeled estimate of hail size in the air. They are independent surfaces, so a mismatch between them is expected — and worth reading.
Radar signature field The point detections NEXRAD recorded overhead. Each signature marks where the radar saw hail aloft — it is a detection, not a stone measured on the ground.
Estimated size field Radar-estimated hail size over the swath. The model reports the biggest stone the storm could sustain in the air; what actually fell may have been smaller.
The storm in context
Where May 17, 2026 sits in Rockwell City's hail record.
This was Rockwell City's 3rd recorded hail day, arriving 2 days after the May 15, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 6th of the 6 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Rockwell City at 1" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 17, 2026 convective day was bigger than Rockwell City: the same system put hail over 894 other tracked cities, 139 of them in Iowa. Nearest: Lake City (14 miles south, up to 1"); Manson (16 miles northeast, up to 1"); Fonda (17 miles northwest, up to 0").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 6 Rockwell City 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 Rockwell City. 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 Rockwell City 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
$564K
Potential roof exposure — 47 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 $10 on top of the $150 plan.
Rockwell City hail history
Other storms in Rockwell City.
Estimated-size surface Jul 8, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 2, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jun 16, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface May 15, 2026
2.25"
Estimated-size surface Apr 23, 2026
2.5"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.