Hail in Saint Louis · May 18, 2026
NEXRAD logged 11 hail signatures up to 1.5"; the estimated-size surface reached 0.75" 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 Saint Louis 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
- 38 /100
- Homes exposed
- 75 /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 Saint Louis 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 18, 2026 sits in Saint Louis's hail record.
This was Saint Louis's 6th recorded hail day, arriving 2 days after the May 16, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 4th of the 15 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Saint Louis at 1.5" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Saint Louis: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 59 of them in Missouri. Nearest: Imperial (21 miles south, up to 1.5"); House Springs (21 miles south, up to 1"); East Carondelet (21 miles southeast, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 15 Saint Louis 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.
For this storm over Saint Louis, the NWS report log is empty — a common outcome, since ground reports only happen when someone witnesses the hail and takes the time to call it in. The detection record for the date lives in the radar maps above.
High damage potential
What 1.5" hail means for Saint Louis 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
$67M
Potential roof exposure — 5,552 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 28 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$420K
Close just 0.5% of the 5,552 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 $1,166 on top of the $150 plan.
Saint Louis hail history
Other storms in Saint Louis.
Estimated-size surface Aug 16, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 27, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 19, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 10, 2026
1"
NEXRAD surface Jul 8, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface Jul 4, 2026
1.5"
Estimated-size surface Jul 3, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 11, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface May 31, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface May 16, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface May 4, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 27, 2026
2"
Estimated-size surface Apr 26, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface Mar 15, 2026
1.25"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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For iPhone. Android coming soon.
Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.