Tripp, SD Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail-producing storm tracked through the Tripp, SD metro on May 24, 2026, producing 2.39-inch hail and prompting 20 NWS alerts from late afternoon into the early morning. The event produced a multi-hour radar-detected hail swath with multiple spotter-verified observations.

What Happened

The first NWS alert for this storm was issued at 4:39 PM CDT and the last at 1:12 AM CDT on May 25, for a total of 20 alerts spanning about nine hours. Of those, 14 were flagged from dual-polarization radar, three included both radar detection and spotter verification, and three were issued as NWS warning only alerts. Alerts in the sequence ranged from 1.0- to 2.0-inch radar estimates before spotter reports were received.

Spotter observations were recorded during the early evening and late evening hours. At 6:51 PM CDT an off-duty NSSL employee corrected and reported ping-pong-ball size hail near 5 S Scotland. At 7:06 PM CDT the same off-duty NSSL employee reported similar ping-pong-ball size hail again. A social media photo timed via radar at 9:05 PM CDT documented 2-inch hail in Freeman. Near 1:37 AM CDT on May 25, a mPING submission reported half-dollar sized hail near Sanborn, IA with the time estimated from radar.

Radar returns show a concentrated hail-producing core moving generally eastward across the Tripp metro that produced intermittent pulses of larger hail between late afternoon and after midnight. The sequence of dual-polarization radar alerts and the timing of spotter reports align to form a continuous, radar-derived hail track through the area.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar returns indicate surface impacts concentrated from west of Tripp through Freeman and extending toward Sanborn, IA. A time-stamped social media photo received at 9:05 PM CDT shows two-inch stones on the ground in Freeman. Off-duty NSSL observers documented ping-pong-ball size hail near 5 S Scotland at 6:51 PM CDT and again at 7:06 PM CDT. The mPING report near Sanborn at 1:37 AM CDT recorded half-dollar sized hail.

Local photographic evidence in Freeman shows stones on lawns and roadways; observers documented hail accumulation sufficient to be photographed and time-lined to the radar track. There are no NWS local storm reports in this dataset citing structural collapse or widespread roof failure. The available field evidence points to localized outdoor impacts at the reported sites rather than an area-wide damage footprint.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections in Freeman, along the corridor east of Tripp toward Sanborn, and the 5 S Scotland vicinity where observers recorded large stones and photographic evidence. Use the 9:05 PM CDT Freeman photo and the 6:51–7:06 PM CDT observer times to set a damage window for property-by-property verification. Begin with exterior loss indicators that are visible without invasive work: concentrated shingle granule loss on low-slope roofs, dents on exposed metal trim and vehicles, and fractured skylight glazing.