Hail in Van Meter · Apr 17, 2026
NEXRAD logged 3 hail signatures up to 1.5"; 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 · Apr 17, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 2nd most severe storm Van Meter 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
- 38 /100
- Homes exposed
- 43 /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 Van Meter 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 Apr 17, 2026 sits in Van Meter's hail record.
This was Van Meter's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 3 days after the Apr 14, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 2nd of the 11 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Van Meter at 1.5" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The Apr 17, 2026 convective day was bigger than Van Meter: the same system put hail over 1,016 other tracked cities, 201 of them in Iowa. Nearest: Cumming (5 miles east, up to 1.25"); Waukee (7 miles north, up to 1.25"); Winterset (10 miles southwest, up to 1.25").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 11 Van Meter 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.
No ground reports were filed with the National Weather Service for this storm over Van Meter. That is common: a report depends on someone being there to see it and take the time to call it in. The radar surfaces above are the record here — the storm was detected from above even though no one on the ground logged it.
High damage potential
What 1.5" hail means for Van Meter 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
$1.7M
Potential roof exposure — 140 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 1 job
- Illustrative work
- ~$15K
Close just 0.5% of the 140 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 $29 on top of the $150 plan.
Van Meter hail history
Other storms in Van Meter.
Estimated-size surface Aug 13, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 27, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 20, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 3, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 11, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jun 10, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface May 18, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface May 15, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 23, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 14, 2026
0.75"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.
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For iPhone. Android coming soon.
Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.