Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 55 hail storms within 25 miles of Burlington, IA. Of those, 46 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was ping pong ball-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2024 was the most active year on record locally, with 22 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Burlington| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 8 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 38 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 9 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 events |
| 2024 | 22 events |
| 2023 | 19 events |
| 2022 | 1 event |
2024 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Burlington, with 22 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Burlington typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-12 | 1 SSW New London, IA | Significant | 1.25" | Damage to solid fencing material. Picture on social media. |
| 2026-08-12 | New London, IA | Moderate | 0.70" | Occurring right now. |
| 2026-05-05 | 2 E Sawyer, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Corrects previous hail report from 2 E Sawyer. |
| 2026-05-05 | Beaverdale, IA | Moderate | 0.88" | Dime to Nickel size hail. |
| 2026-05-05 | 2 E Sawyer, IA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-05-04 | BEAVERDALE, IA | Moderate | 0.88" | A trained spotter reported dime to nickel size hail. |
| 2026-05-04 | SAWYER, IA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-05-04 | Oquawka, IL | Moderate | 0.70" | Covered the ground. |
| 2026-03-31 | ROZETTA, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-03-31 | 3 E Rozetta, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-03-31 | OQUAWKA, IL | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2026-03-31 | Oquawka, IL | Significant | 1.25" | Passed along by broadcast media. |
| 2026-03-10 | Middletown, IA | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2024-10-24 | MORNING SUN, IA | Moderate | 0.88" | A public report relayed a train spotter. The time of the event was estimated using radar. |
| 2024-08-15 | DANVILLE, IA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2024-08-15 | MIDDLETOWN, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Report from MPing. |
| 2024-08-15 | DANVILLE WILSON ARPT, IA | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2024-08-15 | MIDDLETOWN, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Report from MPing. |
| 2024-08-15 | ROSEVILLE, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2024-06-13 | DODGEVILLE, IA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
NOAA has recorded 119 high-wind events within 25 miles of Burlington, IA in the past five years. Of those, 119 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 120 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 13 events |
| Severe | 48 events |
| Significant | 58 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-12 | 1 WNW Middletown, IA | 65 | Severe | On Hwy 34 at the Middletown exit. |
| 2026-08-12 | 1 W New London, IA | 61 | Significant | Personal Weather Station. |
| 2026-08-12 | 1 ESE West Burlington, IA | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-08-12 | Burlington Regional Air, IA | 58 | Significant | ASOS. |
| 2026-06-17 | BURLINGTON ARPT, IA | 70 | Severe | Trees down with one on a home. The time was estimated from radar. |
| 2026-06-17 | 1 SE Beaverdale, IA | 61 | Significant | Awning blown off mobile home. Still had 45 to 50 mph winds 10 minutes later. |
| 2026-06-17 | BEAVERDALE, IA | 61 | Significant | An awning blown off mobile home. Still had 45 to 50 mph winds 10 minutes later. |
| 2026-06-17 | DODGEVILLE, IA | 86 | Severe | Utility poles and power lines down, the time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-06-17 | BURLINGTON ARPT, IA | 58 | Significant | Recorded by the Burlington Iowa Airport. |
| 2026-06-17 | LENOX PARK, IA | 70 | Severe | Trees and power lines blown down, time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-06-17 | 1 SE Burlington Regiona, IA | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-17 | BIGGSVILLE, IL | 60 | Significant | A trained spotter reported thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 MPH. |
| 2026-06-17 | 1 SSE Rozetta, IL | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-17 | ROZETTA, IL | 58 | Significant | A personal weather station near Rozetta Illinois measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 50 knots. |
| 2026-06-17 | KIRKWOOD, IL | 81 | Severe | A trained spotter reported trees snapped at this location. |
| 2026-06-17 | DELABAR STATE PARK, IL | 90 | Severe | A public report that several large trees were uprooted, some over 2 ft in diameter. Likely 80 mph or higher wind gusts based on degree of damage. |
| 2026-06-17 | Biggsville, IL | 60 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-17 | MEDIAPOLIS SHARAR AR, IA | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-17 | 3 NW Kingston, IA | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-17 | MEDIAPOLIS, IA | 70 | Severe | A tree down on house along with many power lines down. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Burlington was on August 12, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Burlington averages roughly 11 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 46 of the 55 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Burlington in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Burlington-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in IA cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Burlington. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Burlington took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationBurlington sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.