East Dubuque, IL Hail Storm – April 2026

A fast-moving severe hail storm tracked through East Dubuque, IL on April 17, 2026, producing 4-inch stones and an extended hail track across the metro. The event spanned midday into the overnight period and generated dense NWS warning activity across the area.

What Happened

NWS warnings began in the early afternoon, with the first warning issued at 12:47 PM CDT. Over the course of the event, 249 NWS alerts were issued across the warning area between 12:47 PM CDT and 12:13 AM CDT. Early warnings primarily cited 1.0–1.5 inch hail. The storm intensified in the late afternoon and early evening. Dual-polarization radar (NEXRAD hail detection) flagged multiple high-end signatures through late evening, including radar-derived hail detections near 2.5–2.75 inches at several times.

Field observers provided multiple size reports and photographs during the peak period. At 4:24 PM CDT a mPING Tea Cup submission reported 3.00 inches. At 5:30 PM CDT broadcast media relayed repeated reports of roughly 2.75 inches from the local area. Spotters posted social-media photos with ruler measurements at 6:25 PM CDT showing 3.25 inches. Local spotters also relayed measured pieces near 2.36 inches at 5:16 PM CDT and an earlier spotter-estimated 2.5 inches at about 3:10 PM CDT. NWS-issued warnings during the afternoon and evening remained the primary public alerting mechanism; several of the larger radar-detected echoes were later corroborated by spotter-submitted photos and broadcast relays.

Damage Assessment

Photographs and spotter measurements submitted from East Dubuque and the immediate metro show large, intact hail pellets in multiple posts. Social-media images and a mPING submission included ruler and tea-cup photos used by observers to size individual stones at multiple locations and times. Broadcast media relays at 5:30 PM CDT repeated several photographic reports near 2.75 inches. Two separate social-media posts at 6:25 PM CDT contained ruler images that spotters estimated at about 3.25 inches.

Local reports of measured hail pieces were concentrated in late afternoon into early evening. Those photo-based reports provide the clearest surface evidence available in the dataset for where the largest pieces fell. Dual-polarization radar signatures consistent with large hail were mapped along the same corridor as the submitted photos and media relays, producing a multi-hour hail track through the metro. No formal NWS damage survey is included in the available reports attached to this event. Assess property exposure starting with locations that match the times and photo submissions noted above, and prioritize structures and vehicles where observers supplied ruler or measured photographs.

What Contractors Should Know

Work in East Dubuque should begin by matching customer addresses to the known photo and spotter times. Field evidence clusters around late afternoon and early evening reports between roughly 4:00 PM CDT and 6:30 PM CDT, with photo-verified measurements at 5:30 PM CDT and 6:25 PM CDT. Prioritize inspections for roofs, siding, and vehicles where customers can produce time-stamped photos or where broadcast or social-media images align with the property.

East Dubuque, IL Hail Storm – April 2026

NWS WARNING AREAS · 249

What Happened

Damage Assessment

What Contractors Should Know

Storm Details

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