Hail in South Elgin · May 4, 2026
NEXRAD logged 4 hail signatures up to 0.75"; the estimated-size surface had no signal that day. 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 4th most severe storm South Elgin 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
- 71 /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 South Elgin 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.
Only the NEXRAD radar-signature surface resolved for May 4, 2026 — the estimated-size swath had no hail signal to model for this storm, so there is one map to show, not two.
The storm in context
Where May 4, 2026 sits in South Elgin's hail record.
This was South Elgin's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 20 days after the Apr 14, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 4th of the 4 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over South Elgin at 0.75" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 4, 2026 convective day was bigger than South Elgin: the same system put hail over 428 other tracked cities, 239 of them in Illinois. Nearest: Bartlett (5 miles east, up to 0.75"); Saint Charles (7 miles south, up to 1"); West Chicago (9 miles southeast, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 4 South Elgin 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 South Elgin. 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.
Near the severe threshold
What 0.75" hail means for South Elgin 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
$42M
Potential roof exposure — 3,537 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 18 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$270K
Close just 0.5% of the 3,537 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 $743 on top of the $150 plan.
South Elgin hail history
Other storms in South Elgin.
Aug 9, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 3, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Apr 14, 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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