Hail in Spirit Lake · May 18, 2026
NEXRAD logged 15 hail signatures up to 1.75"; 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 4th most severe storm Spirit Lake 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
- 44 /100
- Homes exposed
- 67 /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 Spirit Lake 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 Spirit Lake's hail record.
This was Spirit Lake's 4th recorded hail day, arriving 1 day after the May 17, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 4th of the 18 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Spirit Lake at 1.75" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Spirit Lake: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 102 of them in Iowa. Nearest: Lake Park (13 miles west, up to 1.5"); Milford (16 miles southwest, up to 2.25"); Hartley (20 miles southwest, up to 2.25").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 18 Spirit Lake 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 Spirit Lake 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.
High damage potential
What 1.75" hail means for Spirit Lake roofs.
Hail around an inch and a half is capable of cracking shingles, stripping granules, and denting gutters, vents, and siding. Risk is usually greatest near the strongest radar signal, but property-level damage still requires an on-site inspection.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$26M
Potential roof exposure — 2,172 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 11 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$165K
Close just 0.5% of the 2,172 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 $456 on top of the $150 plan.
Spirit Lake hail history
Other storms in Spirit Lake.
Estimated-size surface Sep 6, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Sep 3, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Aug 18, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Aug 9, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Aug 8, 2026
1.5"
Estimated-size surface Aug 7, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 4, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 2, 2026
2"
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
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jun 9, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface May 25, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface May 17, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface May 15, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface Apr 13, 2026
1.25"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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