Wheatfield, IN Hail Storm – August 2026

What Happened

A severe hail storm tracked through Wheatfield, Indiana on August 11, 2026, producing a peak 3-inch stone and multiple radar-detected hail cores during the day. The National Weather Service issued 132 alert polygons across the event, a mix of NWS warning-only issuances and dual-polarization radar detections.

The event began in the late morning. NWS warnings first noted hail potential at 9:52 AM EDT. Dual-polarization radar showed repeating hail cores through mid-afternoon and into the evening. Spotter reports concentrated in a corridor north of North Judson, with additional verified observations near Knox and Toto Road. Spotters provided time-stamped photos on social media and ruler measurements that aligned with the strongest radar returns around mid-morning and late morning.

Radar-detected cores continued after the mid-day period. Local spotters again documented sizable hail and surface impacts in the afternoon. The pattern showed a primary damage corridor running roughly southwest-to-northeast through the Wheatfield metro area, with intermittent smaller cores appearing before daybreak on August 12.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and observer photos indicate the heaviest surface impacts north of North Judson along SR 39 and on Toto Road. Multiple spotter entries around 10:30 AM EDT and 11:10 AM EDT included photographic evidence and ruler measurements of large stones. Observers reported vehicle windshield and roof damage on streets north of North Judson and on Toto Road. Separate spotter measurements near Knox at about 10:35 AM EDT recorded stones measured with a ruler and described as hen-egg to tennis-ball size.

The Local Storm Reports show repeated measurements in the 2 to 2.75-inch range in multiple submissions coincident with the strongest radar signatures. A number of photos uploaded to social platforms were cited by observers as taken at the time of the event and used to document hail size and damage. A later spotter report around 3:43 PM EDT described additional large stones and localized impacts in the afternoon.

Smaller hail and intermittent cores persisted across the broader Wheatfield metro through the evening and into the early hours of August 12. Those later returns correspond with reports of sub-inch to roughly one-inch hail in peripheral zones. Damage reports beyond the North Judson and Toto Road corridor were fewer and tended to describe cosmetic or surface-panel impacts rather than the more extensive windshield and roof effects recorded in the mid-morning damage corridor.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect priorities. Start with vehicles and exposed glass along SR 39 north of North Judson and on Toto Road. Spotter reports and on-scene photos indicate windshield pitting, cracked glass, and roof dents concentrated in that corridor from about 10:30–11:10 AM EDT. Document all findings with time-stamped photos and ruler or scale references. Note the reported ruler measurements taken by observers when adding your own measurements.

Wheatfield, IN Hail Storm – August 2026

NWS WARNING AREAS · 133

What Happened

Damage Assessment

What Contractors Should Know

Storm Details

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