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 275 hail storms within 25 miles of Council Bluffs, IA. Of those, 266 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 baseball-sized or larger, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 72 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Council Bluffs| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 7 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 31 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 53 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 175 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 8 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 1 event | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 72 events |
| 2025 | 68 events |
| 2024 | 38 events |
| 2023 | 66 events |
| 2022 | 31 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Council Bluffs, with 72 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Council Bluffs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-04 | 2 NNE Gretna, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Hail ranging in size from peas to quarters. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-07-04 | Gretna, NE | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-07-04 | 2 ENE Gretna, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Social media report with a photo of quarter sized hail. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-06-13 | 3 N Boys Town, NE | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-13 | BOYS TOWN, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Broadcast media report of hail measured up to 1.00 inch in diameter. |
| 2026-06-13 | 1 NW Elkhorn, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-06-13 | 2 SE Elkhorn, NE | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-13 | ELKHORN, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail measured up to 1.00 inch in diameter. Report received via mPING. |
| 2026-06-13 | ELKHORN, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. |
| 2026-06-13 | 3 SSE Council Bluffs, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Picture of 1 inch hail via Facebook. |
| 2026-06-13 | LAKE MANAWA, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. Reported received via social media. |
| 2026-06-13 | (OFF)OFFUTT AFB, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail measured up to 1.00 inch in diameter. |
| 2026-06-13 | 1 ENE Bellevue, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter-size hail and strong winds. Small limbs down. |
| 2026-06-13 | BELLEVUE, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail measured up to 1.00 inch in diameter along with strong winds and small tree limbs down. |
| 2026-06-13 | Bellevue, NE | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-06 | 2 NNW Pacific Junction, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Report of quarter size hail near Glenwood exit. |
| 2026-06-06 | 2 WNW Plattsmouth, NE | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2026-06-06 | 2 SW Bellevue, NE | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-06-05 | FT CROOK, NE | Moderate | 0.75" | Public report of hail estimated up to 0.75 inches in diameter. Report received via mPING. |
| 2026-06-05 | PACIFIC CITY, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. |
NOAA has recorded 250 high-wind events within 25 miles of Council Bluffs, IA in the past five years. Of those, 250 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 110 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 5 events |
| Severe | 119 events |
| Significant | 126 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-15 | 5 W Treynor, IA | 58 | Significant | Personal weather station. |
| 2026-09-15 | 4 SW Mcclelland, IA | 74 | Severe | Measured gust from a public mesonet station. |
| 2026-09-15 | 4 SE Fort Calhoun, NE | 60 | Significant | Wind gust measured from a public mesonet station. |
| 2026-07-09 | 2 SSW Blair, NE | 59 | Significant | Personal weather station measured wind gust. |
| 2026-07-01 | 4 NNE Hastings, IA | 58 | Significant | Personal Weather Station. |
| 2026-06-30 | MACEDONIA, IA | 64 | Severe | Delayed report from Broadcast Media. Photos and video of north wall and garage door of machine shed detached and blown northward. Also several large snapped tree limbs. Time estimated from radar. Wind gusts estimated at 60-70 mph. |
| 2026-06-30 | HENDERSON, IA | 58 | Significant | Mesonet measured wind gust of 58 mph. |
| 2026-06-13 | ELKHORN, NE | 60 | Significant | Personal weather station measured wind gust of 60 mph. |
| 2026-06-13 | BOYS TOWN, NE | 60 | Significant | Public report of an awning damaged at a gas station at 156th and Maple via Facebook. Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. |
| 2026-06-13 | 2 SE Elkhorn, NE | 60 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-13 | 1 NW Elkhorn, NE | 60 | Significant | Gusts 55-60 mph with dime-size hail. |
| 2026-06-13 | ELKHORN, NE | 60 | Significant | NWS Employee estimated wind gusts of 55-60 mph with dime-size hail. |
| 2026-06-11 | Murray, NE | 80 | Severe | — |
| 2026-06-11 | TABOR, IA | 73 | Severe | Mesonet measured wind gust of 73 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | MURRAY, NE | 81 | Severe | Trained spotter estimated wind gust of 80 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | 4.2 NNE Tabor, IA | 73 | Severe | — |
| 2026-06-11 | LOUISVILLE, NE | 58 | Significant | Mesonet measured wind gust of 58 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | 0.3 NNW Louisville, NE | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-11 | MINEOLA, IA | 71 | Severe | Mesonet measured wind gust of 71 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | SILVER CITY, IA | 67 | Severe | Mesonet measured wind gust of 67 mph. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Council Bluffs was on July 4, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Council Bluffs averages roughly 55 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 266 of the 275 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Council Bluffs in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Council Bluffs-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 Council Bluffs. 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 Council Bluffs 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 ValidationCouncil Bluffs 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.