Kensington, KS Hail Storm – June 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Kensington, KS on June 20, 2026, producing 2.99-inch stones and cycling through repeated radar-detected cores and NWS warnings from pre-dawn into the overnight period.

What Happened

The event began before dawn and produced repeated hail detections through late evening. NWS alerts for this storm totaled 35, spanning from 3:50 AM CDT on June 20 to 12:38 AM CDT on June 21. Early-morning and mid-morning pulses were radar-detected. The storm intensified again in the afternoon and early evening, with radar detections exceeding 2 inches on multiple passes and several spotter-verified reports late in the event.

Spotters in and near Hastings reported small-to-medium hail during the main evening pass. Around 8:05 PM CDT, multiple social-media and mPING reports described quarter- to half-dollar size hail in central and northeast Hastings. At 8:08 PM CDT a mPING submission recorded half-dollar size hail; a Facebook post that minute described nickel to over half-dollar stones. At 8:35 PM CDT a spotter reported 50 mph winds concurrent with larger hail in the same corridor.

Radar-detected hail cores produced a string of NEXRAD detections through the afternoon and evening. Several detections between mid-afternoon and early evening were spotter-verified or accompanied by NWS warnings, indicating repeated intense updrafts traversing the Kensington to Hastings corridor.

Damage Assessment

Field reports show localized surface impact concentrated through central and northeast Hastings during the evening pass. Multiple spotter submissions and social-media posts at roughly 8:05–8:10 PM CDT described hail ranging from about 1.0 inch to 1.25 inches. The same timeframe includes a spotter report of 50 mph winds at 8:35 PM CDT. Those ground observations align with nearby radar cores that were radar-detected and in two cases spotter-verified.

No NWS local storm reports included structural collapse. Surface-impact evidence in the reports is limited to hail-size observations and an observed gust to 50 mph. Vehicle panels, exposed siding, and unprotected skylights in the central and northeast Hastings area should be considered at higher risk based on the clustered spotter activity. Radar detections earlier in the evening indicate the storm produced multiple concentrated cores along the path east of Kensington and into the Hastings area.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections in central and northeast Hastings and along the storm path east of Kensington. Start with photographic documentation tied to location and time. Photograph hail impacts next to a scale reference and record whether the observation came from a spotter, social-media post, or mPING entry. Those timestamps will match radar cores in the 7:00–8:40 PM CDT window.

On roofs, inspect for fracture lines, granule loss, and concentrated bruising on windward exposures. Check vinyl siding, skylights, and exposed HVAC units for pitting consistent with 1.0–1.25-inch stones. Given the 50 mph wind report at 8:35 PM CDT, expect oblique impact angles on vertical siding and on south- and east-facing slope facets.