Hail in Putnam County, WV
Hail in Putnam County regularly reaches sizes that can wreck roofs and total vehicles. NOAA radar has confirmed 9 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Putnam County since 2025, the largest 2.8″ (baseball) on April 14, 2025. The most recent confirmed hail was July 6, 2026.
Did hail hit your exact address?
This page covers the whole area. Enter your address to see what NOAA radar detected over your specific roof - free, in seconds.
About Putnam County, WV
Putnam County lies in the western hills of West Virginia, in the Kanawha River valley between Charleston and Huntington. Spring storms moving into moist air over the Allegheny terrain can occasionally turn severe, with the strongest dropping hail toward tennis ball size on the ridges and bottoms. The Charleston, WV (KRLX) radar sits just about 17 miles to the southeast, near enough to keep a close watch on storms crossing the valley.
The hail record for Putnam County, WV
At 2.8″, the largest hail on record here is in the range that can strip shingles and dent siding across whole blocks at once.
Putnam County doesn't see hail every month, but it's a recurring visitor, with 9 confirmed events since 2025.
Rather than a single peak, hail turns up from spring through summer in Putnam County, most often in April.
Common questions
How often does it hail in Putnam County?
NOAA radar has confirmed 9 severe hail events (1 inch or larger) in the Putnam County area since 2025.
When is hail season in Putnam County?
Putnam County sees hail from spring into early summer, most often in April.
What's the largest hail recorded in Putnam County?
Radar confirmed 2.8-inch hail, about baseball size, on April 14, 2025.
Does homeowner's insurance cover hail damage?
Hail is a covered peril under most standard homeowner's policies (typically HO-3), subject to your deductible. Whether you have replacement-cost or actual-cash-value coverage makes a big difference in what's paid out. Your declarations page will say which.
Has Putnam County had hail big enough to total a roof?
2.8″ hail is in the range where damage can be severe enough to warrant a full roof replacement on standard asphalt shingles. Whether a roof is actually totaled depends on its material and age, how intense the storm was at your specific address, and your insurer's inspection. Hail size alone doesn't decide it.
How do I know if my roof was damaged by hail?
Common signs are granules collecting in gutters and downspouts, bruised or cracked shingles, and dents on soft metals like vents, flashing, and gutter tops. A lot of hail damage isn't visible from the ground, so a professional inspection is the reliable check.
Should I file a hail claim or pay out of pocket?
It depends on the damage versus your deductible. At the 2.8″ sizes seen here, damage often exceeds a typical deductible, which can make a claim worthwhile, but get a repair estimate first to compare, and keep in mind that filing can affect future premiums.
Recent confirmed hail near Putnam County, WV
What this means for your home
Don't overlook vehicle damage
Hail at the 2.8″ sizes Putnam County has seen also dents vehicles, cracks glass, and chips paint. Document car damage alongside your roof before any repairs. Both can be part of the same claim.
If you were just hit
With recent hail in Putnam County, you're still in the window to document and report it. Photograph any damage, note the storm date, confirm what radar detected at your address, and review your policy's reporting requirements. Deadlines vary.
Read anything before you sign it
Some contractors ask storm-hit homeowners to sign an "assignment of benefits," which can hand control of your insurance claim to them. Read it closely. You can document and file a claim yourself without giving that up.
Document before you repair
If you suspect hail damage, photograph it and note the storm's date before making any repairs. Undocumented or already-fixed damage is much harder to claim later.
Replacement cost vs. actual cash value
An RCV policy pays to replace your roof at today's prices; an ACV policy subtracts depreciation for the roof's age, which can mean a much smaller check on an older roof. Knowing which you carry shapes what a hail claim is actually worth.
Get more than one estimate
After a damaging storm, reputable local roofers get busy and out-of-town crews flood in. Get multiple written estimates and verify licensing and local references before signing anything.
Before you call your insurer
Get the radar evidence for your address.
A NOAA Radar Evidence Report documents exactly what federal radar recorded at your address - hail size, date, and signature - in a formatted PDF you can attach to a claim. Built entirely from public NOAA data.
Events are NOAA/NWS Severe Thunderstorm Warnings with confirmed hail ≥ 1 inch, matched to this county by the warning centroid. Federal public-domain data. A confirmed event indicates radar-detected hail over the area, not a guarantee of damage to any specific property.