Hail and severe storms: July 30–August 6, 2026 weekly digest

Week in Review

Contractors should note 15 hail events impacted communities across the central and southwestern United States from July 30 to August 6, 2026. The largest detected hail diameter was 4.09 inches in Emporia, Kansas on August 6, affecting 4,460 addresses by dual-polarization radar detection. Two events exceeded 4.00 inches on July 30 in Nebraska and one exceeded 4.00 inches on July 30 in Crookston, NE. Sapello, New Mexico registered the second-largest address footprint with 4,271 addresses on August 1. Verification sources were primarily dual-polarization radar detections; one event in Ocate, NM on August 4 was spotter-verified.

Summary figures

• Total events: 15
• Largest hail diameter: 4.09 in, Emporia, KS (2026-08-06)
• Largest address footprints: Emporia, KS (4,460 addresses); Sapello, NM (4,271 addresses); Crookston, NE (1,656 addresses)
• Verification: 14 radar-derived detections; 1 spotter-verified event

Notable Events

• Emporia, KS – 2026-08-06 – 4.09 in hail – 4,460 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Sapello, NM – 2026-08-01 – 2.25 in hail – 4,271 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Crookston, NE – 2026-07-30 – 4.00 in hail – 1,656 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Thedford, NE – 2026-07-30 – 4.00 in hail – 248 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Thedford, NE – 2026-07-30 – 4.00 in hail – 166 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Morrison, MO – 2026-07-31 – 2.75 in hail – 503 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Stanton, IA – 2026-08-05 – 1.51 in hail – 474 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Redrock, NM – 2026-08-04 – 2.75 in hail – 185 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Pima, AZ – 2026-08-06 – 2.34 in hail – 203 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Ocate, NM – 2026-08-04 – 3.25 in hail – 12 addresses – spotter-verified
• Bard, NM – 2026-08-01 – 3.00 in hail – 29 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Oconto, NE – 2026-07-31 – 2.44 in hail – 134 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Valentine, NE – 2026-07-30 – 3.75 in hail – 29 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Brownlee, NE – 2026-07-30 – 4.00 in hail – 26 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected
• Hot Springs, SD – 2026-07-31 – 4.00 in hail – 0 addresses – dual-polarization radar detected

Each bullet lists date, town, peak hail diameter, affected address count, and verification source. Use these items to set canvass priorities and crew routing.

Regional Patterns

Northern Plains and central Nebraska concentrated severe hail activity on July 30. Five detections in Nebraska that day included four-inch events in Crookston, Thedford (two separate polygons), Brownlee, and a 3.75-inch report in Valentine. Address footprints varied from two dozen to more than 1,600. The cluster suggests multiple, closely spaced hail cores moving through the same corridor on a single convective day.

Southwest New Mexico saw multi-day activity. Sapello on August 1 produced a large address footprint despite a smaller maximum diameter. Ocate on August 4 produced the largest verified stone in the state for the week at 3.25 inches and was spotter-verified. Bard and Redrock produced additional radar-derived strikes on August 1 and 4 respectively.

Midwest and adjacent states showed isolated but material strikes. Emporia, KS on August 6 recorded the week’s largest diameter and the largest address footprint. Missouri, Iowa, and Arizona reported smaller but actionable events spread across July 31 to August 6. Hot Springs, SD registered a four-inch radar-derived detection with no addresses mapped inside the affected polygon, indicating likely impact over non-residential or sparsely populated ground.

Verification sources were overwhelmingly dual-polarization radar detections. Spotter-verified observation occurred in Ocate, NM. Address counts correlated with community size and polygon overlap. High address counts do not always align with the largest diameters.

What Contractors Should Watch

Prioritize canvass and outbound estimates in Emporia, KS (4,460 addresses) and Sapello, NM (4,271 addresses). Both locations present the highest address counts for the week. Allocate initial outreach resources to those two areas first.

Deploy multiple small teams rather than single large crews where address counts exceed 1,000 addresses in concentrated polygons. Crookston, NE (1,656 addresses) fits that profile. Adjacent Nebraska detections on July 30 justify regional routing of canvass zones to avoid duplicate travel and to reduce drive time between contact points.

Treat spotter-verified Ocate, NM as a targeted damage search. The event produced 3.25-inch hail on August 4 but covered only 12 addresses. Send a reconnaissance team to confirm siding, skylight, and vehicle exposure before committing full replacement crews.

deprioritize mobilization to areas with radar detections but zero mapped addresses, such as Hot Springs, SD, unless field reports arrive. Field reports or local storm reports should change priority.

For mid-size footprints (200–600 addresses) such as Morrison, MO; Stanton, IA; and Pima, AZ, plan a single-day canvass with follow-up estimates scheduled. Match crew skill sets to expected tasks based on hail size. Larger diameters typically produce higher likelihood of roof and high-profile siding damage. Use address counts to estimate contact load and daily productivity for crews.

Most detections this week originated from dual-polarization radar. Use radar-derived polygons to define initial canvass boundaries, then refine with field verification and local reports.

Forward-looking note on atmospheric setup for the coming week

Forecast guidance indicates continued thunderstorm potential across the northern Plains and renewed monsoonal moisture return over parts of the Southwest early next week. Monitor convective outlooks and radar trends for new hail-producing storms in the same corridors that generated this week’s events.