Hail in Columbus · Jul 29, 2026
The estimated-size surface reached 0.5" aloft; NEXRAD logged no point detections over Columbus that day. Open it on the live map to see the swath over the streets.
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Convective day · Jul 29, 2026 · noon–noon UTC
Severity
The 11th most severe storm Columbus 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
- 49 /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 Columbus saw the hail — from two instruments
Two instruments, one storm: NEXRAD logs the point signatures it detected overhead, while the estimated-size surface models how large the hail aloft could have grown. Agreement between them is not guaranteed — the gaps are where the model ran ahead of, or behind, the detections.
Estimated size field Radar-estimated maximum hail size across the swath, modeled from radar aloft. It reflects the biggest stone the storm could support, which may differ from what actually fell.
Only the radar-estimated size surface resolved for Jul 29, 2026 — this storm produced no NEXRAD point detections over Columbus, so there is one map to show, not two.
The storm in context
Where Jul 29, 2026 sits in Columbus's hail record.
This was Columbus's 10th recorded hail day, arriving 21 days after the Jul 8, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 11th of the 16 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Columbus at 0.5" — radar-estimated size aloft.
The Jul 29, 2026 convective day was bigger than Columbus: the same system put hail over 359 other tracked cities, 16 of them in Nebraska. Nearest: Ainsworth (134 miles northwest, up to 0.5"); Oneida (136 miles southeast, up to 1"); Sabetha (137 miles southeast, up to 1").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 16 Columbus 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 Columbus. 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 Columbus 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
$3.2M
Potential roof exposure — 267 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 1 job
- Illustrative work
- ~$15K
Close just 0.5% of the 267 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
July 2028
Claims from this storm can typically be filed until around July 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 $56 on top of the $150 plan.
Columbus hail history
Other storms in Columbus.
Sep 13, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Sep 11, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Aug 17, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Aug 13, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface Aug 12, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Aug 8, 2026
1.25"
Estimated-size surface Jul 8, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 2, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 13, 2026
0.75"
Estimated-size surface Jun 1, 2026
1"
NEXRAD surface May 30, 2026
Estimated-size surface May 17, 2026
2"
Estimated-size surface May 16, 2026
3.25"
Estimated-size surface Apr 23, 2026
1"
NEXRAD 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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