Hail in Howard · May 18, 2026
The estimated-size surface reached 0.5" aloft; NEXRAD logged no point detections over Howard that day. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · May 18, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 8th most severe storm Howard 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
- 59 /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 Howard 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.
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.
Only the radar-estimated size surface resolved for May 18, 2026 — this storm produced no NEXRAD point detections over Howard, so there is one map to show, not two.
The storm in context
Where May 18, 2026 sits in Howard's hail record.
This was Howard's 6th recorded hail day, arriving 22 days after the Apr 26, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 8th of the 13 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Howard at 0.5" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Howard: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 258 of them in Kansas. Nearest: Elk Falls (10 miles south, up to 0.5"); Fall River (11 miles northeast, up to 0.5"); Longton (16 miles southeast, up to 0.5").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 13 Howard 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 Howard 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.
Below the severe threshold
What 0.5" hail means for Howard 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
$10M
Potential roof exposure — 865 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 4 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$60K
Close just 0.5% of the 865 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 $182 on top of the $150 plan.
Howard hail history
Other storms in Howard.
Estimated-size surface Aug 5, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 10, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jun 25, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Jun 18, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jun 13, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface May 31, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface May 23, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Apr 26, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 17, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Apr 3, 2026
2"
Estimated-size surface Mar 31, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Mar 5, 2026
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.