Hail in Gary · May 4, 2026
NEXRAD logged 2 hail signatures up to 0.5"; 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 Gary 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
- 13 /100
- Homes exposed
- 78 /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 Gary 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.
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 Gary's hail record.
This was Gary's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 39 days after the Mar 26, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 4th of the 5 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Gary at 0.5" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 4, 2026 convective day was bigger than Gary: the same system put hail over 428 other tracked cities, 24 of them in Indiana. Nearest: Hammond (10 miles west, up to 0.75"); South Holland (16 miles west, up to 1.25"); Cedar Lake (17 miles southwest, up to 0").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 5 Gary 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 Gary. 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.
Below the severe threshold
What 0.5" hail means for Gary roofs.
Radar signals under three-quarters of an inch stay below the National Weather Service severe threshold and generally indicate lower roof risk. Older or already-worn materials can still show effects, but radar alone cannot determine whether a specific roof was damaged.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$95M
Potential roof exposure — 7,947 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 40 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$600K
Close just 0.5% of the 7,947 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 $1,669 on top of the $150 plan.
Estimated-size surface Aug 9, 2026
0.75"
NEXRAD surface Jul 20, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 24, 2026
1.25"
NEXRAD surface Mar 26, 2026
2.5"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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Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.