List of costly or deadly hailstorms

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This is a list of the costliest or deadliest hailstorms on record.

Notable events

North America

Date Location Incident
6 July 1928 Potter, Nebraska, USA A 7 in (178 mm) hailstone weighing 1.5 lb (680 g) is believed to be the record largest known in the U.S. at the time.[1]
2 September 1960 Southern California, USA Golf ball to baseball sized hail occurred in parts of southern California, including 2.75 in (7.0 cm) (possibly larger) hail around Boulevard and in Riverside County. That is the largest hail recorded in southern California. A severe thunderstorm also struck San Bernardino.[2]
December 1967 Los Angeles County, California, USA A hailstorm hit the county, blanketing the region much like a snowstorm. The storm also produced lightning, and one bolt struck an oil tank in Manhattan Beach, causing an explosion that covered much of the South Bay with oil. The next hailstorm to hit the area was in 1979.[citation needed]
3 September 1970 Coffeyville, Kansas, USA At the time the largest hailstone ever found in the U.S., measuring 5.7 in (140 mm) diameter, 17.5 in (440 mm) circumference, and 1.67 lb (760 g).
30 July 1979 Fort Collins, Colorado, USA A violent forty-minute hailstorm bombed Fort Collins, CO, with hail up to grapefruit size. Two thousand homes and 2500 automobiles were severely damaged, and about 25 people were injured, mainly when hit on the head by the huge stones. A three-month-old baby died of a fractured skull, struck by a large hailstone while being carried by her mother, who was running with her to seek cover.[3]
11 July 1990 Denver, Colorado, USA Softball-sized hail destroyed roofs and cars, causing $625 million in total damage ($1.1 billion in damage adjusted to 2013 dollars).[4]
7 September 1991 Calgary, Alberta, Canada A Labour Day thunderstorm caused $342 million worth of insurable damage[5] in Calgary. Thirteen additional hailstorms between 1981 and 1998 caused an estimated $600 million in damage in the Calgary area alone.[6]
19 June 1992 Wichita, Kansas, USA Two batches of severe thunderstorms, occurring within 6 hours of each other, dumped hailstones up to 4.5 in (11 cm) in diameter across Sedgwick, including the city of Wichita, and surrounding counties in south-central Kansas. Over 10,000 homes were damaged. The hail left wheat fields in a near total loss. Estimated property damage totaled $500 million with crop damage at $100 million. The thunderstorm episode ranks as one of the worst ever to hit Kansas.[7]
5 May 1995 Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, USA The 1995 Mayfest Storm produced $1.1 billion insured losses, and total storm damage was reported at around $2 billion. The storms produced hail about the size of softballs.[8][9][10]
24 July 1996 Calgary and Winnipeg, Canada Orange-sized hailstones caused almost $300 million worth of damage in Calgary and Winnipeg, as well as serious flooding. Notably, one-third of cars damaged by the storm were irreparable.[citation needed]
29 March 2000 Lake Worth, Texas, USA The last known hail fatality in the United States occurred. The victim was Juan Oseguera, a nineteen-year-old man who died from head injuries after being hit by a softball sized hailstone in Lake Worth.[11]
18 May 2000 Chicago area, Illinois, USA $572 million. Golfball-, baseball-, and softball-sized hail damaged roofs, cars, patio furniture, skylights, and windows in the area's worst and most widespread hailstorm in 30 years (McHenry, Lake, northern Kane, northern Cook County). Around 100,000 homes lost power. Hail was 3 in (76 mm) deep in many areas. There were 100 canceled flights, and train service was disrupted.[12]
10 April 2001 St. Louis, Missouri, USA $2.0 billion+. The costliest hailstorm in US history struck the I-70 corridor of eastern Kansas, across Missouri, into southwestern Illinois producing many baseball-sized hail reports.[13]
22 June 2003 Aurora, Nebraska, USA The largest hailstone on record at the time fell on this date. It had a 7-inch (178 mm) diameter and a circumference of 18.74 inches (476 mm).[14]
20–21 April 2006 San Marcos, Texas, USA Hail of sizes up to 10 cm (3.9 in)[15][16] results in 10,000 auto claims, 7,000 homeowner and commercial property claims ranging between $100–160 million insured losses.[17][18] One woman was hospitalized.[19] The storm was especially costly at the San Marcos Outlet Malls and a nearby Toyota dealership.[20][21]
20 July 2009 Denver, Colorado, USA A hailstorm in the western suburbs of Denver caused $770 million (USD) damage.[22]
10 & 16 May 2010 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Two major hailstorms separated by less than a week caused damage to large portions of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Damages from the first storm caused an estimated $595 million (USD) damage, and the second storm was expected to be around the same, totaling around $1 billion in damages.[23]
12 July 2010 Calgary, Alberta, Canada The hailstorm that pounded Calgary on July 12 eclipsed the record originally set in 1991, with insurable damages totaling at least $400 million,[24] excluding agricultural crop damage. The storm brought hail as wide as 4 cm (1.6 in).
23 July 2010 Vivian, South Dakota, USA The largest diameter hailstone known, measuring 7.87 in (20.0 cm) in diameter - larger than a bowling ball - and weighing 1.9375 lb (0.88 kg), fell on Vivian during an exceptional hailstorm.[25]
28 April 2012 St. Louis, Missouri, USA Series of hailstorms amount to 2nd costliest in U.S. history at estimated $1.6 billion in insured losses[26]
13 June 2012 Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, USA Baseball to softball-sized hail pummeled DFW causing significant damage to cars, houses, and other buildings. Estimated damages were approximately $900 million.[27]
12 August 2012 Calgary, Alberta, Canada A storm, with hailstones approximately the size of golf balls, battered Calgary for 10 minutes. High winds were associated with the storm, causing $552 million in damage.[28]

Eurasia

Date Location Incident
Circa 9th century Roopkund, Uttarakhand, India Several hundred pilgrims were killed by a massive hailstorm in Roopkund.[29]
May 1411 Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, England, UK First known severe hailstorm in Britain is thought to have incurred fatalities[30]
15 May 1697 Hitchin to Great Offley, Hertfordshire, England, UK A H8 level hailstorm is the most intense on record in Britain[30]
9 August 1843 Midlands and East Anglia, Central and Southern England One of Britain's worst ever hailstorms, possibly a supercell, caused massive destruction as hailstones reached up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) deep in places. The storm is also believed to have spawned several tornadoes, and the exact size of the hail that fell within it is unknown. The overall damage was so great that an entire new insurance company, The General Hail Insurance Company, was formed to help cope with future hailstorms. This company would later be known as the Norwich Union.[31]
30 April 1888 Uttar Pradesh, Northern India One of the deadliest hailstorms of all time killed at least 230 people, and over 1600 sheep and goats, in Uttar Pradesh. The hailstones were reportedly as big as oranges, and in some areas piled up to 2 ft (0.61 m) high. No warning system existed in 1888 and therefore the death toll of this event was exceptionally high.[32]
22 September 1935 Newport, Monmouthshire to Mundesley, Norfolk, UK A H6 level hailswath at least from points above and possibly longer is longest on record in Britain.[30]
24 May 1937 Belgrade, Yugoslavia [33]
12 July 1984 Munich, Bavaria, Germany Tennis ball sized hail fell on Munich and surrounding areas on this date.[34] It was the greatest loss event in the history of the German insurance industry: 200,000 cars were damaged and the storm cost an estimated 166 million Deutschmark.[35] For years afterwards people jokingly referred to those cars whose bodywork was not repaired as 'Munich Design'.
14 April 1986 Gopalganj, Bangladesh At least 92 people were killed in Gopalganj by some of the heaviest hailstones ever recorded, which were the size of grapefruits and weighed around 1.02 kg (2.25 lb) each.[36]
19 July 2002 Henan Province, the People's Republic of China 25 dead and hundreds injured.[citation needed]
28–29 June 2006 Villingen-Schwenningen and suburbs, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Supercell thunderstorms, severe damage by grapefruit-sized[37] hailstones, causing € 150 million damage, more than 100 injuries.
28 July 2013 Mainly Southern Germany A supercell dropped hailstones with a diameter of up to 8 cm (3.1 in). Around 70 people were injured by large rain amounts, downbursts, lightning strikes and the hail. Total damage inflicted by the hailstorm was measured by about 3.6 billion Euros, making it the most expensive hailstorm in the history of Germany.[38][39]
8 July 2014[40] Sofia, Bulgaria 100 million levs damage claims (~51 million euro)[41]

South America, Africa, and Oceania

Date Location Incident
1 February 1936 Settlers, Transvaal, South Africa Devastating hailstorm with hailstones the size of coconuts, killed ten people and several head of cattle, in addition to nine people killed in flooding. 380 mm (15 in) of rain fell in 15 minutes.[42][43] Some reports claim more than 26 killed.[44]
1 January 1947 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1947 Sydney hailstorm
17 November 1949 Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa Hailstorm struck Pretoria West- hailstones of circumference 23 cm (9.1 in) (diameter 7 cm (2.8 in)) damaged windows or roofs on all buildings in the area, and broke 12000 large windows at the Iscor (now Mittal Steel South Africa) plant in the area, and damaged hundreds of cars at the plant.[42]
18 January 1985 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Late in the afternoon, a supercell thunderstorm swept in from the west dropping hailstones as large as 6 cm (2.4 in) over parts of the city. A wind gust of over 180 km/h (110 mph) was recorded at Brisbane airport and 57 mm (2.2 in) of rain recorded in 15 minutes at the same location. The 30 minutes of destruction caused A$300 million (A$1.7 billion in 2007 adjusted dollars) damage to vehicles and buildings. This rates as the 5th most costly insured event in Australia since 1968.[45][46][47]
1 November 1985 Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa Major hailstorm striking central Pretoria and surrounding areas. Damage estimated at R400m.[42]
18 March 1990 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Damaging hailstorm across large swaths of metropolitan Sydney.[48]
14 April 1999 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1999 Sydney hailstorm: 20,000 properties and 40,000 vehicles were damaged during the storm with more than 25 aircraft damaged at Sydney Airport. One person was killed while fishing after getting struck by lightning and several other people were injured. At A$1.5 billion (A$3.3 billion in 2007 adjusted dollars), it was the costliest hailstorm to hit an Australian populated city.[45][49] The largest stone measured was 9.5 cm (3.7 in).[50]
9 December 2007 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Supercell thunderstorms caused immense damage in the North and Western Suburbs of Sydney. Worst hit were the suburbs of Blacktown, Castle Hill, and neighbouring Baulkham Hills. Hail stones the size of golf balls damaged cars, windows, and homes.[51]
6–7 March 2010 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2010 Victorian storms: Heavy rain and large hail across much of Victoria lead to flash flooding in central Melbourne, roofs collapsing at Southern Cross Station and Docklands Stadium, and power cuts to over 120,000 households around Victoria. 40,000 insurance claims for over $500 million were lodged.
22 March 2010 Perth, Western Australia, Australia The hailstorm that struck after a long dry spell lasted only a few minutes but caused damage to many houses, a number of hospitals and schools, and an airport terminal. The storm damaged thousands of cars, cut power lines and left 150,000 houses and many traffic lights without power. The storm also caused a landslip at King's Park.[52]
27 November 2014 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia The 2014 Brisbane hailstorm caused severe damage to many buildings and cars in the city. It struck central parts of the city during the afternoon peak period. Around 40 people were injured. Three months after the event it was estimated that the storm caused $1.1 billion worth of damage.[53]

Largest by country

See also

References

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Further reading

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External links

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