Springville, IA Hail Storm – April 2026

A hail storm tracked through Springville, IA on April 27, 2026, producing 2-inch stones and multiple radar-detected hail cores in the late afternoon. The event produced a spotter-verified hail report in town and three NWS warning-area alerts from dual-polarization radar.

What Happened

NWS issued three warning-area alerts tied to the Springville storm. Dual-polarization radar detected 1.00-inch hail in the first alert at 2:33 PM CDT. A stronger radar core moved through later, with an alert at 4:20 PM CDT detecting 1.43-inch returns. A third warning-area alert at 5:32 PM CDT again flagged 1.00-inch radar returns as the system moved eastward.

Local observers provided ground-truth on the late-afternoon core. A spotter-verified Local Storm Report at 5:28 PM CDT described pea-to-penny sized hail, estimated at 0.75 inch. That observation came inside the NWS warning area and coincided with the final radar-flagged core passing through the Springville vicinity. Radar and ground reports indicate a multi-core, short-duration event with patchy surface impacts across the warning area.

Damage Assessment

Field reports for Springville were limited to the spotter hail observation. No Local Storm Reports in the dataset recorded structural failures or widespread property damage in Springville on April 27. The spotter noted pea-to-penny sized hail at 5:28 PM CDT in town. Street-level impacts were therefore limited and localized to where that core passed.

Radar returns earlier in the sequence showed stronger hail signatures than the single spotter report captured on the ground. Those stronger radar cores produced the NWS warning-area alerts but did not generate additional spotter accounts within Springville in the available reports. Where radar-detected cores crossed paved surfaces and parked vehicles, contractors should expect isolated dents and scuffs rather than widespread roof failures based on the surface observations available.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect roofs in the parts of Springville that were under the NWS warning area between mid-afternoon and early evening. Prioritize asphalt-shingle evaluations for granule loss and softened shingles along ridgelines and windward exposures. Take baseline photographs and measure hail hits with a calibrated scale when possible. Document locations with GPS coordinates or clear address markers.

Check vehicles, outdoor HVAC units, and soft landscaping where the spotter report and radar cores overlapped. Focus first on items with active water intrusion risk. If you find penetrations or open seams, install temporary covers and document them for repairs. Keep repair estimates tied to photographed, dated evidence and note the specific times of radar alerts and the spotter report in your file.

Safety and triage matter. Do not assume uniform damage across the warning area. Use short-duration, core-specific inspection runs to identify the worst-hit properties first. Coordinate with owners on interior inspections only after exterior hazards are mitigated.