Camden, MS Hail Storm – April 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Camden, MS on April 24, 2026, producing 4-inch stones as the system moved from late afternoon into the early morning. The event produced a long sequence of radar-detected hail alerts and multiple spotter-verified impact reports across the Camden metro.

What Happened

The storm produced its first radar-detected hail alerts in the late afternoon. NWS issued 50 alerts covering the system as it progressed. Early radar returns showed 1-inch hail detections near the metro by 4:36 PM CDT. The signal intensified in the evening with several radar detections above 1.5 inches, including a 2.27-inch radar detection at 6:56 PM CDT and a 2.72-inch radar detection at 11:43 PM CDT. After midnight the system produced repeated pulses of smaller hail through the early morning hours, with alerts continuing into the 7:00 AM hour on April 25.

Spotters supplied on-the-ground detail during the strongest evening pulse. A spotter reported multiple half-dollar to 2-inch stones around 7:48 PM CDT. Two separate spotter-verified reports at 11:11 PM CDT described golfball-size hail near the intersection of Faithway Rd and Bethel Church Rd. Other observers reported quarter-size hail on US Hwy 98 near Oloh, in the Oak Grove area, and near Rocky Branch during the late evening and early overnight period. Some NWS alerts were labeled NWS warning only; many were supported by dual-polarization radar hail detections.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar signatures indicate the most concentrated surface impacts occurred along a corridor that includes Faithway Rd/Bethel Church Rd and sections of US Hwy 98 near Oloh. Spotters reported golfball- to 2-inch stones in the Faithway Rd/Bethel Church Rd area at 11:11 PM CDT and 7:48 PM CDT. US Hwy 98 near Oloh recorded quarter-size hail in a spotter submission at 11:50 PM CDT. Additional quarter-size reports came from Oak Grove and Rocky Branch between 11:36 PM CDT and 12:02 AM CDT.

Radar-detected hail cores late in the evening align with the spotter locations. The strongest radar cores occurred around 6:56 PM CDT and 11:43 PM CDT and tracked over the same north–south corridor that produced the larger surface reports. Reported impacts were patchy rather than continuous; damage reports concentrated at intersections, along highway corridors, and near populated nodes cited by observers.

Observed surface impacts in verified reports were primarily concentrated on vehicles and exposed outdoor equipment. Spotters described multiple half-dollar to 2-inch stones, and two spotter submissions recorded golfball-size hail at the same intersection. Inspect properties in those corridors first when assessing loss or scheduling repairs.

What Contractors Should Know

Start inspections along Faithway Rd, Bethel Church Rd, and the US Hwy 98 corridor near Oloh. Prioritize affected addresses at intersections and commercial lots called out in spotter reports. Look for localized roof granule loss, dented metal panels, and chipped or cracked automotive glass where golfball- to 2-inch stones were reported.