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 32 hail storms within 25 miles of Fort Dodge, IA. Of those, 27 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 egg-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 10 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Fort Dodge| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Destructive | 2 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 6 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 19 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 5 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 events |
| 2025 | 9 events |
| 2024 | 6 events |
| 2023 | 2 events |
| 2022 | 5 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Fort Dodge, with 10 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Fort Dodge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-20 | 4 N Kamrar, IA | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2026-07-02 | Gowrie, IA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-07-02 | 1 WNW Gowrie, IA | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2026-07-02 | Fort Dodge, IA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-05-16 | 4 S Humboldt, IA | Severe | 1.50" | Report from mPING. |
| 2026-04-23 | 1 E Rockwell City, IA | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-16 | Gowrie, IA | Severe | 1.50" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-04-16 | Gowrie, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-04-16 | Gowrie, IA | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2026-04-16 | 1 WNW Gowrie, IA | Severe | 1.75" | Largest hail is golf ball size. |
| 2025-09-22 | (FOD)FT DODGE MUNI A, IA | Moderate | 0.75" | Report via mping. |
| 2025-09-22 | THOR, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter sized hail reported by trained spotter. |
| 2025-09-22 | WOOLSTOCK, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Received via social media. Occurred at Prestage Foods of Iowa. |
| 2025-09-16 | FT DODGE, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Trained spotter reported nickel to quarter sized hail in Fort Dodge. |
| 2025-04-23 | FT DODGE, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Up to quarter sized hail but most was much smaller. Hail lasted from 7:38-7:42 pm LDT. |
| 2025-04-23 | FT DODGE, IA | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-04-23 | FT DODGE, IA | Severe | 1.50" | Hail stone measured with calipers. |
| 2025-04-18 | DAKOTA CITY, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Report via mping, time adjusted based on radar. |
| 2025-03-14 | KNIERIM, IA | Significant | 1.00" | Reported from mping. |
| 2024-07-06 | EAGLE GROVE, IA | Significant | 1.25" | Via WHO-TV of 1.5-inch hail in Eagle Grove. Time of occurrence estimated from radar. |
NOAA has recorded 34 high-wind events within 25 miles of Fort Dodge, IA in the past five years. Of those, 34 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 76 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 9 events |
| Significant | 25 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | 3 SW Webster City, IA | 76 | Severe | — |
| 2026-06-17 | 3 SW Webster City, IA | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-17 | 4 SW Vincent, IA | 59 | Significant | PWS gust. |
| 2025-09-22 | BURNSIDE, IA | 58 | Significant | A trained spotter reported damage to corn and soybean fields and tree losing big branches near Dolliver Park and Lehigh. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-09-22 | HIGHVIEW, IA | 60 | Significant | Gust measured by a personal weather station. |
| 2025-09-16 | (FOD)FT DODGE MUNI A, IA | 58 | Significant | Peak gust of 58 mph reported by the Fort Dodge AWOS. Time taken from METAR. |
| 2025-08-09 | DAKOTA CITY, IA | 60 | Significant | Report of trees and branches down across town, via social media. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-08-09 | FT DODGE, IA | 60 | Significant | Large tree down at this location, few others reported in town. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-07-28 | FT DODGE, IA | 64 | Severe | Trees and powerlines down around Fort Dodge. Delayed report relayed by broadcast media. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-07-27 | WEBSTER CITY, IA | 60 | Significant | Tree limbs up to 3 to 4 inches down in Webster City. |
| 2025-07-19 | PILOT MOUND, IA | 58 | Significant | Time estimated from radar. Images of several three to six inch diameter tree branches down. One tree is also uprooted. |
| 2025-06-16 | ROELYN, IA | 59 | Significant | Personal weather station gusted to 59 mph as the gust front moved through. |
| 2025-03-14 | WEBSTER CITY ARPT, IA | 64 | Severe | — |
| 2025-03-14 | STRATFORD, IA | 64 | Severe | Tree fell on power line in Stratford. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2024-08-29 | UNIQUE, IA | 58 | Significant | Numerous large tree branches down at this location, with additional damage up to 2 miles north of this area. |
| 2024-06-16 | BRUSHY, IA | 69 | Severe | Trees and crops damaged. |
| 2024-05-24 | ROCKWELL CITY, IA | 58 | Significant | Semi blown over and trees down near Rockwell City. |
| 2024-05-24 | BOXHOLM, IA | 60 | Significant | Delayed social media picture of power poles down near Boxholm. Time of occurrence estimated from radar. |
| 2024-05-24 | WEBSTER CITY, IA | 60 | Significant | Large tree branches down and power outages. Simi crashes along I-35. |
| 2024-05-24 | WEBSTER CITY, IA | 60 | Significant | No comments included in this report. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Fort Dodge was on July 20, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Fort Dodge averages roughly 6 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 27 of the 32 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Fort Dodge in the last five years was egg-sized. Most Fort Dodge-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 Fort Dodge. 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 Fort Dodge 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 ValidationFort Dodge 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.