Wind gust 64 mph
2 N Aurora Hamilton County
“Gust occurred at the Aurora AWOS. (GID)”
— NOAA / SPC storm report
Hail in Aurora May 16, 2026
Both radar surfaces caught this storm: NEXRAD logged 0 hail signatures up to 1.75", and the radar-estimated size reached 1.25" aloft.
Largest hailstone
1.75"
≈ golf ball · the largest NEXRAD radar signature Homes in the hail footprint
3,491
Ground reports
1
1 windThe 3rd most severe storm Aurora has seen in the last 12 months
Storm severity score
Overview's storm severity score weighs hailstone size, homes in the footprint, and ground-truth reports.
4.6 /10
- Hail size
- 44 /100
- Homes exposed
- 71 /100
- Ground truth
- 17 /100
Largest hailstone — the top predictor of roof damage.
How many homes sit inside the storm's footprint.
Independent storm reports filed with the NWS.
How Aurora 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.
NEXRAD radar signatures
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.
Max size
1.75"
Detections
0
Radar-estimated hail size
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.
Max size
1.25"
Where May 16, 2026 sits in Aurora's hail record
This was Aurora's 2nd recorded hail day, arriving 31 days after the Apr 15, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 3rd of the 9 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Aurora at 1.75" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 16, 2026 convective day was bigger than Aurora: the same system put hail over 711 other tracked cities, 201 of them in Nebraska. Nearest: Hampton (8 miles east, up to 1.75"); Phillips (9 miles northwest, up to 2.5"); Marquette (11 miles north, up to 1").
These maps are stills from Aurora's May 16, 2026 storm. In the Overview app the same surfaces are live — radar updating in real time, radar-estimated hail size as it forms, and NWS spotter reports pinned where they're filed — with a radar replay you can scrub back over any past day.
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.
Wind reports
1 reportWhat 1.75" hail means for Aurora roofs
At an inch and a half, hail cracks shingles, strips granules down to the mat, and dents gutters, vents, and siding. A footprint like this typically produces a wave of insurance claims — and the contractor who reaches the homeowner first usually gets the inspection.
What this storm is worth to a roofer
$42M
Potential roof exposure — 3,491 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
Illustrative jobs
17 jobs
Illustrative work
~$255K
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.
Track hail over Aurora on the live map
Radar updates in real time, spotter reports appear on the map as they're filed, and the full Aurora storm history — this May 16, 2026 storm included — sits underneath. When you're ready, draw this storm's footprint and pull highly accurate homeowner contact information for every address inside it.
Highly accurate contact information starting at $0.23 per address — every contact included. Digital leads cost $15–$40. Start with a 7-day free trial — no credit card required. See pricing
Aurora hail history
← All hail in Aurora 9 recorded storm days in Aurora, NE
Other storms in Aurora
Jul 8, 2026
2.5" Signatures 2.5" Estimated 1.75"
2
ground reports 
Jul 3, 2026
1" Signatures 1" Estimated 0.75"
No ground reports filed 
Jul 1, 2026
1" Signatures 1" Estimated 0.5"
No ground reports filed 
Jun 10, 2026
1.25" Estimated 1.25"
No ground reports filed 
Jun 9, 2026
0.5" Estimated 0.5"
No ground reports filed 
Jun 5, 2026
2.5" Signatures 2.5" Estimated 2.5"
No ground reports filed 
May 31, 2026
0.5" Estimated 0.5"
No ground reports filed 
Apr 15, 2026
0.5" Estimated 0.5"
No ground reports filed
A storm day here is a convective day — it runs from noon to noon
UTC, so late-night hail is grouped with the afternoon storm that
spawned it rather than split across two calendar dates. Ground
reports are public-domain observations from the NOAA Storm
Prediction Center. Radar surfaces are detections and estimates,
not confirmed damage. Last updated Aug 3, 2026.