Hail in Omaha · May 18, 2026
NEXRAD logged 5 hail signatures up to 1.75"; the estimated-size surface had no signal that day. 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 6th most severe storm Omaha 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
- 55 /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 Omaha 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.
Only the NEXRAD radar-signature surface resolved for May 18, 2026 — the estimated-size swath had no hail signal to model for this storm, so there is one map to show, not two.
The storm in context
Where May 18, 2026 sits in Omaha's hail record.
This was Omaha's 7th recorded hail day, arriving 1 day after the May 17, 2026 storm. By severity it ranks 6th of the 15 storms we have logged here. Radar put the day's largest stone over Omaha at 1.75" — the largest NEXRAD radar signature.
The May 18, 2026 convective day was bigger than Omaha: the same system put hail over 726 other tracked cities, 121 of them in Nebraska. Nearest: Bennington (14 miles north, up to 1"); Wahoo (23 miles west, up to 2.5"); Missouri Valley (24 miles northeast, up to 1.75").
These maps are stills. In the app this date is one of 15 Omaha 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.
Nobody on the ground filed a report over Omaha for this date, which says more about who was watching than about the storm: spotter reports only exist where there is an observer. The radar surfaces above carry the evidence for this one.
High damage potential
What 1.75" hail means for Omaha 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
$6.5M
Potential roof exposure — 539 homes × the ~$12,000 industry-average hail roof claim. Exposure, not confirmed damage.
- Illustrative jobs
- 3 jobs
- Illustrative work
- ~$45K
Close just 0.5% of the 539 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 $113 on top of the $150 plan.
Estimated-size surface Jul 8, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jul 3, 2026
2.5"
NEXRAD surface Jul 1, 2026
Estimated-size surface Jun 13, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Jun 5, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface May 31, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface May 30, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface May 22, 2026
0.5"
Estimated-size surface May 17, 2026
1.75"
Estimated-size surface May 15, 2026
1"
Estimated-size surface Apr 23, 2026
2.75"
NEXRAD surface Apr 9, 2026
0.75"
NEXRAD surface Apr 3, 2026
0.5"
NEXRAD surface Mar 5, 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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For iPhone. Android coming soon.
Web trial: 7 days free. Card required. $150/month after the trial unless cancelled.