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 405 hail storms within 25 miles of Rapid City, SD. Of those, 314 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. 2023 was the most active year on record locally, with 150 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Rapid City| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 13 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 32 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 95 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 174 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 91 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 107 events |
| 2025 | 32 events |
| 2024 | 72 events |
| 2023 | 150 events |
| 2022 | 44 events |
2023 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Rapid City, with 150 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Rapid City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-23 | 1 SSE Rockerville, SD | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-08-23 | Hermosa, SD | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-08-23 | Hayward, SD | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-08-23 | Hermosa, SD | Significant | 1.00" | Via social media. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-08-23 | 4 N Silver City, SD | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-08-23 | Johnson Siding, SD | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-08-23 | Pactola Resv, SD | Severe | 1.75" | Via social media. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-08-19 | 4 S Dwtn Rapid City, SD | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2026-08-19 | 5 NE Rockerville, SD | Significant | 1.00" | Report sent to media livestream then relayed via Slack. |
| 2026-08-19 | 5 SW Dwtn Rapid City, SD | Severe | 1.50" | Report sent to media livestream then relayed via Slack |
| 2026-08-19 | 4 WSW Dwtn Rapid City, SD | Severe | 1.50" | Time estimated via radar. |
| 2026-08-19 | 5 SSW Dwtn Rapid City, SD | Severe | 1.50" | Report sent to media livestream then relayed via Slack. |
| 2026-08-19 | 4 SSW Dwtn Rapid City, SD | Significant | 1.00" | Report sent to media livestream then relayed via Slack. |
| 2026-08-16 | 2 NW Dwtn Rapid City, SD | Moderate | 0.88" | Via Spotter Network. |
| 2026-08-16 | 2 W Black Hawk, SD | Moderate | 0.75" | mPING report |
| 2026-08-11 | 3 WNW Hill City, SD | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 4 WNW Hermosa, SD | Catastrophic | 3.00" | Along Highway 40. Photo via social media. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-08-11 | 4 W Hermosa, SD | Catastrophic | 3.25" | Hail lasted for 15 minutes. Broken glass, downspouts and gutters, carport destroyed. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 WNW Hermosa, SD | Destructive | 2.75" | Near Southern Hills RV Park and Campground. Photo via social media. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-08-11 | Hermosa, SD | Severe | 1.75" | Relayed via broadcast media. Time estimated based on report and radar. |
NOAA has recorded 308 high-wind events within 25 miles of Rapid City, SD in the past five years. Of those, 308 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 86 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 46 events |
| Significant | 262 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-16 | 2 SSW Rockerville, SD | 54 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 9 ENE Hayward, SD | 50 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 9 ENE Hayward, SD | 54 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 4 S Caputa, SD | 55 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 4 S Caputa, SD | 52 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 4 ENE Black Hawk, SD | 55 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 2 SSE Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 51 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 1 SE Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 51 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 1 SE Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 55 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 4 SW Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 51 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 3 NNE Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 56 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 1 SE Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 53 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 1 SE Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 55 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-16 | 4 N Caputa, SD | 50 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-15 | 9 ENE Hayward, SD | 53 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-15 | 4 S Caputa, SD | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-15 | Rapid City Arpt, SD | 54 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-15 | Rapid City Arpt, SD | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-15 | 3 NNE Dwtn Rapid City, SD | 54 | Significant | — |
| 2026-10-15 | 7 E Sturgis, SD | 50 | Significant | — |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Rapid City was on August 23, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Rapid City averages roughly 81 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 314 of the 405 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Rapid City in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Rapid City-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 SD 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 Rapid City. 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 Rapid City 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 ValidationRapid City 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.