Kinsley, KS Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Kinsley, Kansas, late afternoon into the overnight hours of May 18–19, 2026, producing stones up to 2.8 inches. The event produced multiple radar-detected hail cores and spotter-verified reports across Kinsley and nearby Offerle.

What Happened

NWS issued 28 alerts between 3:36 PM CDT and 1:02 AM CDT as the parent storm moved northeast through Edwards County. Early radar returns at about 3:36 PM CDT showed a hail core near Offerle, followed minutes later by a social media spotter report of golf ball sized hail on the northeast side of Offerle at 3:40 PM CDT. Dual-polarization radar continued to detect repeated hail cores through the late afternoon and evening.

Social-media photos from Kinsley at 4:23 PM CDT documented half-dollar sized hail. A 5:38 PM CDT social post included imagery of larger stones near Kinsley. A radar-plus-spotter core passed Kinsley in the late afternoon; a radar and spotter report at 6:25 PM CDT recorded a larger hail signature. Additional radar-detected cores returned after dark, including a radar-plus-spotter report at 10:43 PM CDT and multiple NWS-warning-only and radar-only alerts into the early morning hours on May 19.

Throughout the sequence, spotter-verified observations and public mPING submissions corroborated the radar picture. mPING reports included a ping-pong ball size submission at 10:57 PM CDT and repeated half-dollar size submissions around 1:01 AM CDT. Several public reports at 12:35 AM CDT included nickel-to-quarter size hail and a 52 mph wind observation in the same corridor.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar returns indicate concentrated surface impacts focused on Kinsley and the northeast side of Offerle. Local storm reports and social media submissions supplied photo evidence of hail accumulation and measured stones at multiple points along the storm path. The earliest spotter accounts near Offerle and the afternoon photos in Kinsley provide direct ground-truth for the radar-detected hail cores.

No Local Storm Report in the compiled set described widespread structural collapse. The available submissions emphasize measured hail sizes and photographic capture rather than large-scale structural failure. Multiple public and spotter reports at 12:35 AM CDT also cited 52 mph wind gusts in the same area, suggesting potential isolated impacts to loose exterior elements and vegetation in the late-night corridor.

Where photos exist, they document surface accumulation and discrete impact points. Field observers supplied size estimates from nickel and quarter falls up to golf ball and ping-pong ball sizes across several locations. Those clustered reports define the areas where roofing, vehicle panels, and exposed soft metals should receive priority inspection.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections along the path from northeast Offerle through Kinsley. Begin with properties near the 3:40 PM CDT Offerle report and the 4:23 PM CDT Kinsley photo location, then expand to addresses along the late-afternoon to late-night core corridor where radar returns and spotter submissions overlapped. Focus first on roofs, gutters, skylights, and vehicle hoods for discrete impact marks that match reported stone diameters.