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 22 hail storms within 25 miles of Columbus, GA. Of those, 18 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. 2021 was the most active year on record locally, with 8 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Columbus| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 6 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 12 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 4 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 events |
| 2025 | 2 events |
| 2024 | 3 events |
| 2023 | 5 events |
| 2022 | 2 events |
| 2021 | 8 events |
2021 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Columbus, with 8 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Columbus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-13 | 3 ESE Opelika, AL | Moderate | 0.75" | Video of dime to penny-size hail in a subdivision along S Uniroyal Rd near Columbus Pkwy. |
| 2026-08-13 | 3 NW Salem, AL | Moderate | 0.70" | Dime-size hail reported along Lee County Road 391 near U.S. 280. |
| 2025-05-26 | SEALE, AL | Moderate | 0.75" | Penny-size hail was reported in the Seale area. |
| 2025-03-31 | SALEM, AL | Severe | 1.50" | Up to 1.5-inch hail was reported at Wacoochee Elementary School. |
| 2024-08-18 | WHITESVILLE, GA | Significant | 1.00" | One inch hail reported at exit 30 on i-185. |
| 2024-05-27 | SEALE, AL | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter-size hail was reported along Highway 169 near Seale. |
| 2024-03-15 | CRAWFORD, AL | Moderate | 0.88" | Nickel-sized hail was reported just east of Parkmanville. |
| 2023-03-26 | SEALE, AL | Significant | 1.00" | Hail covering the ground in Seale, some as large as quarters. |
| 2023-03-26 | BRICKYARD, AL | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail reported just south of Phenix City. |
| 2023-03-26 | BROOKHAVEN, GA | Significant | 1.00" | Report of 1 Inch hail at st. marys rd and oakley dr. |
| 2023-03-26 | UPATOI, GA | Significant | 1.25" | Half dollar size hail reported near intersection of Cartledge Rd and Hwy 80. |
| 2023-03-26 | UPATOI, GA | Severe | 1.50" | Ping Pong Ball size hail reported on Upatoi Lane. |
| 2022-06-15 | CRAWFORD, AL | Severe | 1.75" | Golf ball size hail reported just east of Crawford. |
| 2022-06-15 | UPATOI, GA | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail reported in Utapoi. |
| 2021-12-30 | ALTA VISTA, GA | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2021-12-30 | SMITHS STATION, AL | Severe | 1.75" | Golf Ball size hail reported in the town of Smiths Station. |
| 2021-12-30 | MITCHELL XRD, AL | Severe | 1.50" | Silver Dollar size hail reported in the town of Beauregard. |
| 2021-12-30 | FLAT ROCK, GA | Significant | 1.00" | Local media relayed a report of quarter-sized hail in northeast Columbus near Flat Rock Park. |
| 2021-12-30 | NANKIPOOH, GA | Significant | 1.00" | The public reported hail the size of quarters on Lloyd Road. |
| 2021-12-30 | UPATOI, GA | Significant | 1.00" | Trained spotter reported nickel to quarter-sized hail on McKee Road near the intersection of County Line Road. |
NOAA has recorded 86 high-wind events within 25 miles of Columbus, GA in the past five years. Of those, 84 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 66 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 6 events |
| Significant | 78 events |
| Moderate | 2 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-19 | Columbus Metropolitan A, GA | 66 | Severe | ASOS at CSG airport measured a 66 mph wind gust. |
| 2026-09-19 | Columbus Metropolitan A, GA | 59 | Significant | ASOS at KCSG measured a 59 mph wind gust. |
| 2026-09-19 | 1 W Columbus Metropolit, GA | 66 | Severe | ASOS station KCSG Columbus. |
| 2026-06-01 | SEALE, AL | 58 | Significant | Trees were downed on Old Seale Highway and Mt Zion Street. |
| 2026-06-01 | LADONIA, AL | 58 | Significant | Trees were downed along Camp Parkman Rd as well as Sandfort Rd at Woodland Drive. In addition, a tree was down on a power line, catching fire, at Cutrate Rd and Opelika Rd. |
| 2026-03-16 | J C MEADOWS XRDS, AL | 58 | Significant | Trees were downed on Lee Road 179 south of Lee Road 240, and on Lee Road 300. |
| 2026-03-16 | DOUBLE CHURCHES, GA | 55 | Significant | Broadcast media reports tree down on britton dr in north columbus ga. |
| 2026-03-12 | MITCHELL XRD, AL | 58 | Significant | Two trees were downed across Lee Road 11. |
| 2026-03-12 | PHENIX CITY, AL | 60 | Significant | Reports of damage around Phenix City, including billboards blown out, a storage building damaged at 11th Ave and 14th St, and trees downed sporadically at numerous locations. |
| 2026-03-12 | SMITHS, AL | 60 | Significant | Lee Road 412 was blocked by trees in/out of Hunters Ridge neighborhood with power outages associated. |
| 2026-03-12 | SMITHS, AL | 58 | Significant | Trees were downed on Lee Road 213, 309, and 240. |
| 2026-03-12 | LOUVALE, GA | 60 | Significant | Tree down on a house on old louvale road . |
| 2026-03-12 | OAKLAND, GA | 60 | Significant | Marion County weather station. |
| 2026-03-12 | MOTTS, AL | 58 | Significant | An outbuilding/shed was partially blown into the roadway at Lee Road 246 and Lee Road 289. |
| 2026-03-09 | WAVERLY HALL, GA | 49 | Significant | Tree down near the intersection of jordan dr and oneal dr. |
| 2026-01-10 | SALEM, AL | 58 | Significant | Trees and powerlines were downed in the Salem community. |
| 2025-07-11 | MOTTS, AL | 58 | Significant | A microburst occurred in Smiths Station, with large sections of metal roofing removed and trusses blown around at mostly open air buildings at the Lee County Flea Market. Additionally, small trees and tree limbs were snapped and power lines were downed around Smiths Station, including along Lee Roads 379, 430, 769, 2148, and Highway 280. |
| 2025-05-03 | HUDSON MILL, GA | 60 | Significant | Broadcast media report of several down trees and homes missing siding along Lower Blue Springs Rd near Graddick Rd. |
| 2025-04-10 | UCHEE, AL | 58 | Significant | Trees were downed on Alabama Highway 51, including at Torbert Lake Road and Slosheye Road. Power outages were reported to the south in Hurtsboro. |
| 2025-04-10 | CRAWFORD, AL | 58 | Significant | A church sign was damaged and power lines were downed. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Columbus was on March 31, 2025. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Columbus averages roughly 4 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 18 of the 22 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Columbus in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Columbus-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 GA 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 Columbus. 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 Columbus 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 ValidationColumbus 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.