Hail in Independence · May 4, 2026
NEXRAD logged 0 hail signatures up to 0"; the estimated-size surface reached 0.5" 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 13th most severe storm Independence 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
- 29 /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 Independence 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.
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.
The storm in context
Where May 4, 2026 sits in Independence's hail record.
This was Independence's 7th recorded hail day, arriving 6 days after the Apr 28, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 13th of the 13 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Independence at 0.5" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The May 4, 2026 convective day was bigger than Independence: the same system put hail over 428 other tracked cities, 35 of them in Kansas. Nearest: Coffeyville (12 miles southeast, up to 1"); Caney (18 miles southwest, up to 1"); S Coffeyville (21 miles south, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 13 Independence 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 Independence. 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 Independence 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
$312K
Potential roof exposure — 26 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 $5 on top of the $150 plan.
Independence hail history
Other storms in Independence.
Estimated-size surface Jul 4, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 21, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface Jun 16, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jun 11, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface May 31, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface May 29, 2026
1"
NEXRAD surface Apr 28, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Apr 26, 2026
2.75"
Estimated-size surface Apr 17, 2026
4"
Estimated-size surface Apr 15, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface Apr 3, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Mar 6, 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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