Cunningham, KS Hail Storm – April 2026

What Happened

A severe hail storm is tracking through Cunningham, KS, on April 11, 2026, with spotter-verified stones up to 3 inches and multiple radar and field reports through late afternoon and early evening. The storm remains active, and additional hail is still possible.

The first NWS alert came at 4:10 PM CDT with 1-inch hail reported by spotters. Another 1-inch alert followed at 4:27 PM CDT as the storm continued across the area. By 4:45 PM CDT, dual-polarization radar was detecting 2-inch hail in the warning area. At 4:33 PM CDT, two spotter-verified mPING reports came in with 1.75-inch hail, placing a ground report between the early spotter reports and the later radar-derived hail estimates.

By 5:17 PM CDT, spotters were again reporting 1.75-inch hail. The storm then strengthened further on radar, with a 6:12 PM CDT alert detecting 2.25-inch hail. The field reports and radar together show a storm that is not holding steady. It is intensifying in place and continuing to produce large hail in the Cunningham area.

Damage Assessment

The current impact picture points to repeated large-hail strikes across the warning area, with ground truth from spotters arriving early and radar later detecting larger stones aloft. The 4:33 PM CDT reports of 1.75-inch hail are the clearest surface-level evidence in this event so far. The later radar detections of 2 inches and then 2.25 inches suggest a hail core capable of producing wider roof, siding, and vehicle exposure across the storm path.

For Cunningham and nearby rural locations, the main concern is clustered hail impact rather than a single brief burst. Multiple reports over more than two hours show the storm has maintained a hail-producing structure through the afternoon. That pattern fits a long-lived storm track with repeated impacts in the same general corridor.

The field reports do not describe widespread structural loss yet, but hail of this size can leave visible bruising on crops, dents on vehicles left outside, and impact marks on softer exterior surfaces. In a rural Kansas setting, open lots, farm equipment, and west-facing structures are typically the first places to show fresh damage after a storm like this.

What Contractors Should Know

Crews working Cunningham and the surrounding Pretty Prairie metro area should treat this as an evolving hail job with more than one impact window. The sequence of reports shows hail arriving in waves, not as a single isolated pulse. That matters for canvass planning. Roofs, gutters, window screens, soft metal trim, and exposed vehicles should all be checked for fresh strikes, especially on properties that sit directly in the warning area.

Focus initial inspections on scattered farmsteads, edge-of-town roofs, and any structures with broad, low-slope surfaces. The spotter-verified 1.75-inch reports are enough to justify a close look, and the later radar-derived 2.25-inch detections indicate that some locations may have taken larger stones after the first ground reports were filed. If field access is limited, start with visible impact indicators from the street, then move to close inspection where safe.