Hail in Smith County, KS
Hail turns up in Smith County on a regular basis. NOAA radar has confirmed 11 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Smith County since 2025, the largest 2.1″ (golf ball) on April 25, 2026. The most recent confirmed hail was June 20, 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 Smith County, KS
Smith County occupies the rolling high plains of north central Kansas, open wheat and grassland near the Nebraska line. Late summer is the active stretch, when daytime heating and moisture trapped beneath cold air aloft build storms that can drop sizable hail. The Grand Island (KUEX) radar near Hastings serves the county from about 41 miles to the northeast, a workable range for tracking storms across it.
The hail record for Smith County, KS
Hail is a recurring threat in Smith County, with 11 confirmed events on record since 2025.
This year has run hot: 8 confirmed events in 2026 already, ahead of the recent pace.
The dangerous window runs spring into early summer, with June the busiest month on record.
Common questions
How often does it hail in Smith County?
NOAA radar has confirmed 11 severe hail events (1 inch or larger) in the Smith County area since 2025.
When is hail season in Smith County?
Smith County sees hail from spring into early summer, most often in June.
What's the largest hail recorded in Smith County?
Radar confirmed 2.1-inch hail, about golf ball size, on April 25, 2026.
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.
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.
Is hail getting worse in Smith County?
Nationally, the research on long-term hail trends is mixed. Better radar coverage since the 1990s makes real increases hard to separate from improved detection. In Smith County, 8 confirmed events have been recorded in 2026 so far, but the tracked record is still short, so it isn't evidence of a lasting trend.
Hail just hit, what should I do?
Safely photograph any hail and note the time, then confirm what radar recorded at your address before calling your insurer. Most policies require prompt notice after a hail event, and deadlines vary by policy and state, so don't wait to document it.
Recent confirmed hail near Smith County, KS
What this means for your home
If you were just hit
With recent hail in Smith 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.
Damage can be invisible from the ground
At Smith County's typical sizes, hail often bruises shingles and loosens granules without obvious holes, shortening roof life in ways that are easy to miss until the next storm or an inspection.
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.
Keep a 'before' record
Photos of your roof and exterior in good condition make new hail damage much easier to prove later. A few shots now, before the next storm, can save an argument with an adjuster over what's old wear and what's storm damage.
Know your hail deductible
Many policies in hail-prone states use a percentage deductible, often 1–2% of the home's insured value rather than a flat dollar amount. On a $400,000 home that can be $4,000–$8,000 out of pocket before coverage starts, so it's worth checking your declarations page before a storm.
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.