Hail in Bethalto · May 4, 2026
NEXRAD logged 14 hail signatures up to 2.25"; the estimated-size surface reached 1.25" aloft. At 2.25" — 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.
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Convective day · May 4, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 2nd most severe storm Bethalto 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
- 56 /100
- Homes exposed
- 73 /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 Bethalto 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 Bethalto's hail record.
This was Bethalto's 4th recorded hail day, arriving 1 day after the May 3, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 2nd of the 4 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Bethalto at 2.25" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 4, 2026 convective day was bigger than Bethalto: the same system put hail over 428 other tracked cities, 239 of them in Illinois. Nearest: Alton (5 miles west, up to 2.25"); Edwardsville (9 miles southeast, up to 2"); Hartford (9 miles southwest, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 4 Bethalto 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 Bethalto 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 2.25" hail means for Bethalto 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
$54M
Potential roof exposure — 4,517 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 23 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$345K
Close just 0.5% of the 4,517 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 $949 on top of the $150 plan.
Bethalto hail history
Other storms in Bethalto.
Estimated-size surface May 3, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 27, 2026
2.5"
Estimated-size surface Apr 26, 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.
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