Miami-Dade, FL Hail Storm – April 2026

What Happened

Miami-Dade County, Florida, is tracking through a hail-producing storm on 2026-04-07, with the peak radar-detected hail size reaching 2.25 inches near Miami Gardens. The storm remains active and may still be developing.

Two NWS alert areas were issued during the afternoon. The first came around 3:17 PM EDT with dual-polarization radar support for 2.25-inch hail. A second alert followed at 4:47 PM EDT with 1-inch hail detection. The sequence shows a hail core that held together across multiple warning periods.

The larger hail signal came first, then a smaller hail signature followed later in the day. The storm continued tracking through the Miami-Dade metro during the late afternoon, with radar showing repeated hail potential in the same general corridor.

Damage Assessment

Hail near 2.25 inches can break roof coverings, crack soft metal trim, dent gutters, and damage vehicles parked outdoors. It can also leave impact marks on siding, screened enclosures, and pool equipment. Around 1 inch, damage often shifts toward roof shingle bruising, gutter dents, window screen tears, and scattered vehicle impacts.

For Miami-Dade properties, the main field concern is not just the peak hail size but the repeat signal. A storm that produces a larger hail core and then a second hail alert later can leave multiple hit areas across a neighborhood, especially where the warning area overlaps dense residential blocks, apartment roofs, and commercial flat roofs.

Contractors should expect mixed roof findings. Some homes may show visible hail marks on shingles or tile edges while nearby structures report only cosmetic dents on vents, flashing, and downspouts. Vehicle damage can also be uneven, with one street taking hard impacts and another seeing little beyond light dings.

Storms in this size range should be checked with roof-level inspections, attic review where access allows, and exterior scans of soft metals and siding. Use time-stamped photos from the afternoon window, especially around the first 3:17 PM EDT alert and the later 4:47 PM EDT alert, to separate earlier hail hits from any new damage in the same event.

What Contractors Should Know

This storm is still moving through the area, so crews should treat current field reports as a live snapshot. Focus first on roof slopes, ridge caps, vents, skylights, and the north- and west-facing sides of structures where wind-driven hail often leaves the most visible marks. On tile roofs, look for chipped edges, cracked corners, and displaced pieces. On shingle roofs, check for granule loss, bruising, and impact points around penetrations.

For commercial work, inspect flat roofs, HVAC units, condensers, gutters, and sheet metal cladding. Document dents on mechanical equipment and soft metals with close-range photos and wide shots that show building context. In residential neighborhoods, note whether damage clusters near the same streets or spreads across several blocks inside the warning area. Keep site notes tied to local time so later inspections can separate the first hail burst from the later 1-inch alert.