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 30 hail storms within 25 miles of Kinston, NC. Of those, 24 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. 2023 was the most active year on record locally, with 12 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Kinston| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Destructive | 1 event | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 2 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 21 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 6 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 events |
| 2025 | 3 events |
| 2024 | 1 event |
| 2023 | 12 events |
| 2022 | 4 events |
2023 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Kinston, with 12 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Kinston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-11 | 5 SSW Wise Forks, NC | Significant | 1.00" | The hail fell in the Vine Swamp area off of Hwy 58. In addition to the hail, large limbs were blown down due to strong thunderstorm winds. Report was via social media. |
| 2026-09-05 | Grifton, NC | Significant | 1.25" | The size of hail was estimated based on submitted pictures. Multiple reports of large hail in the Grifton area. |
| 2026-09-05 | Fort Barnwell, NC | Severe | 1.75" | Quarter to golf ball size hail and strong winds. The winds brought down some small tree branches. |
| 2026-09-05 | Trenton, NC | Significant | 1.00" | Report and picture via Facebook. |
| 2026-09-05 | 4 SE Trenton, NC | Significant | 1.00" | Delayed report. Hail of dime to quarter size reported in the Olivers Crossroads area. |
| 2026-09-05 | Farmville, NC | Moderate | 0.75" | Strong wind noted at this location as well. |
| 2026-09-05 | 3 NNW Roundtree, NC | Significant | 1.00" | Hail of half inch to quarter size ongoing near Ayden. Not much wind occurring at this time. |
| 2026-08-21 | 2 NE Cove City, NC | Moderate | 0.88" | Public reported nickel sized hail. Time based on radar. |
| 2026-06-23 | Vanceboro, NC | Moderate | 0.75" | Skywarn Spotter reported penny sized hail. |
| 2026-06-23 | VANCEBORO, NC | Moderate | 0.75" | Penny sized hail fell. |
| 2025-05-05 | NEW HOPE, NC | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-05-05 | SHELMERDINE, NC | Significant | 1.25" | Multiple reports of quarter, or slightly larger, size hail stones from Chicod to Grimesland. The hails was reported via WITN TV. |
| 2025-05-05 | MC GOWANS XRDS, NC | Significant | 1.00" | The hails was reported near Highway 43 southeast of Winterville. |
| 2024-05-10 | CANNON XRDS, NC | Significant | 1.00" | The hail was reported via mPING. |
| 2023-07-07 | NEW HOPE, NC | Significant | 1.00" | The public reported quarter inch hail near the intersection of Woods Mill Rd and Hunters Creek Dr. |
| 2023-05-09 | ORMANDSVILLE, NC | Destructive | 2.00" | The 2-inch hail was observed near Ormondsville, with a picture sent via social media. |
| 2023-05-09 | DEEP RUN, NC | Significant | 1.00" | The time was estimated based on radar data. |
| 2023-05-09 | AYDEN, NC | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2023-05-09 | AYDEN, NC | Significant | 1.00" | A significant amount of accumulated hail fell, with the hail damaging siding and vehicles. The report was via Twitter. The time was estimated based on radar data. |
| 2023-05-09 | VANCEBORO, NC | Significant | 1.00" | The time was estimated based on radar data. |
NOAA has recorded 130 high-wind events within 25 miles of Kinston, NC in the past five years. Of those, 130 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 81 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 6 events |
| Significant | 124 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-06 | 2 SSE Goldsboro, NC | 47 | Significant | Seymour Johnson AFB reported a wind gust to 41 kt or 47 mph. |
| 2026-06-23 | VANCEBORO, NC | 58 | Significant | Craven County 911 reported a tree down along Streets Ferry Road south of Vanceboro. |
| 2026-06-23 | VANCEBORO, NC | 58 | Significant | Powerlines were blown down with winds estimated at 55 to 60 mph. |
| 2026-06-18 | ADAMSVILLE, NC | 58 | Significant | Trees were reported down on South Best Street. |
| 2026-06-18 | (GSB)SEYMOUR JOHNSON, NC | 58 | Significant | Trees were reported down on powerlines off of Old Highway 111. |
| 2026-03-16 | RIVERMONT, NC | 58 | Significant | Lenoir County 911 reported trees and powerlines down on the west side of Kinston. |
| 2026-03-16 | BESTS, NC | 58 | Significant | Power outages due to downed trees or limbs damaging equipment. |
| 2026-03-12 | MAURY, NC | 63 | Significant | Numerous reports of trees blown down throughout Greene County. No known structure damage at this time. The time was estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-03-12 | ALBRITTONS, NC | 58 | Significant | Multiple trees were reported down in Lenoir County. The time was estimated by radar. |
| 2026-03-12 | TRENTON, NC | 63 | Significant | A report of an aluminum carport shelter was lofted into powerlines and snapping power poles by the strong winds. The time was based on radar. |
| 2026-03-12 | FROG LEVEL, NC | 58 | Significant | A picture was sent in of a partial collapse to a new house being built in Greenville NC. Several support beams shown were knocked down with part of the front wall also knocked down. |
| 2025-07-27 | KORNEGAY, NC | 58 | Significant | A tree was blown down across Hwy 903 as thunderstorms moved through the area. The time was estimated based on radar data. |
| 2025-07-27 | HINES JCT, NC | 58 | Significant | Power lines were blown down along Tyler Road in Kinston. |
| 2025-07-27 | DOVER, NC | 58 | Significant | Anchored outdoor furniture was ripped out of the ground. |
| 2025-07-19 | HOODSWAMP, NC | 58 | Significant | A few hundred power outages were reported due to trees on powerlines. |
| 2025-07-19 | EUREKA, NC | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down on Faro Road. |
| 2025-06-25 | GOLDSBORO, NC | 58 | Significant | A tree was reported down on power lines along 2nd Street. |
| 2025-06-25 | GOLDSBORO, NC | 58 | Significant | Duke Energy reported 160 customers without power, caused by damaged equipment from fallen trees. |
| 2025-06-07 | COVE CITY, NC | 58 | Significant | Trees were blown down on Willis Rd. in Cove City. |
| 2025-06-07 | HYMANS, NC | 58 | Significant | Trees were blown down on Hyman Rd. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Kinston was on September 11, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Kinston averages roughly 6 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 24 of the 30 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Kinston in the last five years was egg-sized. Most Kinston-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 NC 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 Kinston. 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 Kinston 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 ValidationKinston 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.