Hail in Sheldon · May 18, 2026
NEXRAD logged 12 hail signatures up to 2"; the estimated-size surface reached 0.5" aloft. 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.
7-day free trial in the iPhone app. No card required to start.
For iPhone. Android coming soon.
Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.
Convective day · May 18, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 3rd most severe storm Sheldon 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
- 53 /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 Sheldon 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 18, 2026 sits in Sheldon's hail record.
This was Sheldon's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 1 day after the May 17, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 3rd of the 10 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Sheldon at 2" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Sheldon: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 102 of them in Iowa. Nearest: Sanborn (15 miles east, up to 2.25"); Alton (15 miles south, up to 1.5"); Rock Valley (20 miles west, up to 2").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 10 Sheldon 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 Sheldon 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 Sheldon 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
$5.6M
Potential roof exposure — 464 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 2 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$30K
Close just 0.5% of the 464 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
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 $97 on top of the $150 plan.
Sheldon hail history
Other storms in Sheldon.
Estimated-size surface Sep 6, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 2, 2026
1.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 1, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jun 30, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface Jun 29, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 27, 2026
2.5"
Estimated-size surface May 31, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface May 24, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface May 17, 2026
1.75"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.
7-day free trial in the iPhone app. No card required to start.
For iPhone. Android coming soon.
Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.