Hail in Wapello · May 4, 2026
NEXRAD logged 6 hail signatures up to 0.75"; the estimated-size surface reached 0" aloft. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · May 4, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 6th most severe storm Wapello 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
- 19 /100
- Homes exposed
- 35 /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 Wapello saw the hail — from two instruments
Two instruments, one storm: NEXRAD logs the point signatures it detected overhead, while the estimated-size surface models how large the hail aloft could have grown. Agreement between them is not guaranteed — the gaps are where the model ran ahead of, or behind, the detections.
Radar signature field NEXRAD's hail signatures for this storm: the spots the radar detected from above. A detection overhead is not the same thing as a confirmed stone below.
Estimated size field Radar-estimated maximum hail size across the swath, modeled from radar aloft. It reflects the biggest stone the storm could support, which may differ from what actually fell.
The storm in context
Where May 4, 2026 sits in Wapello's hail record.
This was Wapello's 5th recorded hail day, arriving 17 days after the Apr 17, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 6th of the 10 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Wapello at 0.75" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 4, 2026 convective day was bigger than Wapello: the same system put hail over 428 other tracked cities, 19 of them in Iowa. Nearest: New Boston (5 miles east, up to 0.75"); Morning Sun (12 miles southwest, up to 1"); Keithsburg (12 miles southeast, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 10 Wapello 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 Wapello 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.
Near the severe threshold
What 0.75" hail means for Wapello roofs.
A signal this size sits near the National Weather Service severe threshold. Aging shingles and soft metals such as vents, flashing, and gutters may be more vulnerable; roof age, wind, and material condition all matter, and only an inspection can confirm damage.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$648K
Potential roof exposure — 54 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 $11 on top of the $150 plan.
Wapello hail history
Other storms in Wapello.
Estimated-size surface Aug 13, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Aug 12, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 3, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 11, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface May 15, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 17, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Apr 2, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface Mar 10, 2026
1.25"
NEXRAD surface Mar 5, 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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