Hail in Pretty Prairie · May 18, 2026
NEXRAD logged 1 hail signature up to 1.75"; the estimated-size surface reached 1.25" aloft. 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 4th most severe storm Pretty Prairie 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
- 44 /100
- Homes exposed
- 22 /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 Pretty Prairie 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.
Estimated size field The modeled maximum hail size across the swath, derived from radar aloft — the largest stone the storm could have supported, which is not necessarily what reached the ground.
The storm in context
Where May 18, 2026 sits in Pretty Prairie's hail record.
This was Pretty Prairie's 5th recorded hail day, arriving 22 days after the Apr 26, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 4th of the 12 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Pretty Prairie at 1.75" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Pretty Prairie: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 258 of them in Kansas. Nearest: Arlington (9 miles northwest, up to 2"); Hutchinson (11 miles north, up to 3.5"); Murdock (11 miles southeast, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 12 Pretty Prairie 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 Pretty Prairie. 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.
High damage potential
What 1.75" hail means for Pretty Prairie roofs.
Hail around an inch and a half is capable of cracking shingles, stripping granules, and denting gutters, vents, and siding. Risk is usually greatest near the strongest radar signal, but property-level damage still requires an on-site inspection.
Radar reading · not confirmed damage
Roofing exposure
What this storm is worth to a roofer.
Potential roof exposure
$144K
Potential roof exposure — 12 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 $3 on top of the $150 plan.
Pretty Prairie hail history
Other storms in Pretty Prairie.
Estimated-size surface Aug 14, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jul 10, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 4, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jun 25, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 20, 2026
0.75"
NEXRAD surface Jun 4, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface May 30, 2026
2.5"
Estimated-size surface Apr 26, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 11, 2026
2.5"
NEXRAD surface Mar 26, 2026
Estimated-size surface Mar 5, 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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