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 199 hail storms within 25 miles of Lincoln, NE. Of those, 192 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 99 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Lincoln| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 2 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 24 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 44 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 122 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 7 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 99 events |
| 2025 | 17 events |
| 2024 | 11 events |
| 2023 | 21 events |
| 2022 | 51 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Lincoln, with 99 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-18 | Crete, NE | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-07-04 | 4 NW Roca, NE | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2026-07-04 | Palmyra, NE | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2026-06-11 | RUBY, NE | Significant | 1.25" | NWS Employee report of hail measured up to 1.25 inches in diameter. |
| 2026-06-11 | 4 S Seward, NE | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2026-06-11 | 5 SE Lincoln, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Delayed report from mPING. |
| 2026-06-11 | 3 NNW Roca, NE | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-11 | HAVELOCK, NE | Severe | 1.75" | Delayed report received via social media of hail measured up to golf ball sized. Time estimated with radar. |
| 2026-06-11 | 3 NNW Malcolm, NE | Destructive | 2.00" | — |
| 2026-06-11 | 3 S Lincoln, NE | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-06-11 | 5 SE Lincoln, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-06-11 | WAVERLY, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. Report received via mPING. |
| 2026-06-11 | LANCASTER, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. Report received via mPING. |
| 2026-06-11 | UNIVERSITY PLACE, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. Report received via mPING. |
| 2026-06-11 | LANCASTER, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Trained spotter report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. |
| 2026-06-11 | 5 ENE Lincoln, NE | Severe | 1.75" | Delayed report received via social media of hail measured up to golf ball sized. Time estimated with radar. |
| 2026-06-11 | MALCOLM, NE | Destructive | 2.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 2.00 inches in diameter. |
| 2026-06-11 | 5 SE Lincoln, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-06-11 | CHENEYS, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. Report received via mPING. |
| 2026-06-11 | JAMAICA, NE | Significant | 1.00" | Storm chaser report of hail estimated up to 1.00 inch in diameter. |
NOAA has recorded 157 high-wind events within 25 miles of Lincoln, NE in the past five years. Of those, 157 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 100 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 2 events |
| Severe | 84 events |
| Significant | 71 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-15 | 3 NW Adams, NE | 61 | Significant | Personal Weather Station. |
| 2026-08-19 | 3 S Seward, NE | 61 | Significant | — |
| 2026-08-19 | 5 NE Garland, NE | 70 | Severe | Spotter reports winds gusting over 70 mph via Social Media. |
| 2026-08-18 | 5 ESE Crete, NE | 62 | Significant | Personal weather station measured wind gust. |
| 2026-08-18 | 1 N Hallam, NE | 61 | Significant | Personal weather station measured wind gust. |
| 2026-08-18 | 5 WNW Lincoln, NE | 68 | Severe | — |
| 2026-08-18 | 5 E Denton, NE | 58 | Significant | Personal weather station measured gust. |
| 2026-07-28 | 4 WNW Lincoln, NE | 58 | Significant | REPORTED AT LINCOLN AIRPORT. |
| 2026-06-11 | ARBOR, NE | 60 | Significant | Mesonet measured wind gust of 60 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | Lincoln, NE | 70 | Severe | — |
| 2026-06-11 | ARROW ARPT, NE | 81 | Severe | Delayed report of an estimated 10 inch in diameter tree limb falling on a home. Time estimated via radar. Wind gust estimated up to 80 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | WEST LINCOLN, NE | 75 | Severe | Report from 911 Call Center of trees and powerlines down. Wind gusts were estimated at 75 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | CHENEYS, NE | 64 | Severe | Mesonet measured wind gust of 65 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | 3 WNW Bennet, NE | 65 | Severe | — |
| 2026-06-11 | WAVERLY, NE | 75 | Severe | Report from 911 Call Center of trees and powerlines down. Wind gusts were estimated at 75 mph. |
| 2026-06-11 | 5.8 S Waverly, NE | 72 | Severe | — |
| 2026-06-11 | 5.9 SSE Davey, NE | 60 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-11 | WEST LINCOLN, NE | 70 | Severe | KLNK ASOS measured wind gust of 70 mph at the Lincoln Municipal Airport. |
| 2026-06-11 | 4 SE Malcolm, NE | 59 | Significant | Public mesonet station measured gust. |
| 2026-06-11 | ROCA, NE | 75 | Severe | Report from 911 Call Center report of trees and powerlines down. Wind gusts were estimated at 75 mph. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Lincoln was on August 18, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Lincoln averages roughly 40 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 192 of the 199 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Lincoln in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Lincoln-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 NE 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 Lincoln. 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 Lincoln 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 ValidationLincoln sits inside the central United States hail belt, where warm Gulf moisture collides with cold continental air to produce supercell thunderstorms capable of dropping the hail documented above. Properties in this zone typically see at least one significant hail event every two to four years.