Douglassville, TX Hail Storm – April 2026

A hail-producing storm tracked through the Douglassville, Texas area on April 29, 2026, producing stones up to 2.5 inches and prompting multiple NWS warning areas across the region.

What Happened

The event began in mid-morning and continued into the late evening on April 29, with 41 NWS alerts issued for the larger system. Early radar detections appeared around 10:45 AM CDT. The sequence included numerous NWS warning-only alerts and repeated dual-polarization radar detections later in the day, with a radar and spotter-verified large-stone report near 3:46 PM CDT.

Spotter material was abundant. Around 2:34 PM CDT spotters posted photos from Ennis showing very large stones on the ground. Social media photos and video around 4:08 PM CDT showed tennis-ball size hail in parts of Athens. Video near 3:34 PM CDT in Seven Points documented hail ranging from quarters to golf balls. Local broadcast reports and manager statements recorded quarter- to golf-ball-size hail near Bullard and emergency management logged significant hail at the Ennis Public Safety Facility.

Radar detections clustered along a southwest-to-northeast corridor through the region. Dual-polarization radar picks at multiple times reinforced the presence of intense hail cores interleaved with hour-to-hour NWS warning areas. Several spotter reports matched radar timing and location, providing both visual and operational corroboration for the larger stones observed in multiple towns.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and media posts indicate surface impact varied sharply by location. Photographs from Ennis and Athens show extensive pavement accumulation and broken landscaping where larger stones fell. Broadcast media and on-the-ground observers reported quarter- to golf-ball-size hail around Bullard and along FM 344 east of US 69, with photos from Seven Points showing impacts consistent with mixed-size hailfalls.

An emergency manager logged hail at the Ennis Public Safety Facility, and multiple community posts described vehicle dents and roof bruising in neighborhoods that lay under the strongest radar cores. Numerous reports of pea- to golf-ball-size hail came from the east side of Fairfield and a roadside report at 460 Hwy 75 North cited golf-ball-size stones. Two independent crowd-sourced mPING reports recorded half-dollar sized hail near the same time and area as radar-indicated cores.

Damage patterns are concentrated along the corridor of repeated radar detections and stacked NWS warning areas. Photographs collected from social media show damaged lawn furniture, shredded leaves, and dented vehicle panels in several towns along that corridor. Broadcast and spotter narratives consistently place the heaviest impacts in pockets rather than uniformly across the warning area.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections in Ennis and the Athens-Bullard corridor. Field reports and media imagery place the heaviest impact there and show concentrated surface accumulation and visible vehicle denting. Start with public safety facilities, municipal buildings, and main thoroughfares cited by emergency managers and broadcast reporting. Those sites provide documented timestamps and locations that match radar cores.