Hail Reports in Richmond, Virginia — Last 90 Days
NOAA Storm Prediction Center logged 1 hail report within 25 miles of Richmond across 1 storm day, most recently on September 4, 2026. Source: SPC Local Storm Reports (preliminary, may be revised).
Data as of October 24, 2026 (last successful NOAA check). The newest report in the feed is from Oct 23, 2026. The 90-day log is SPC preliminary data. The county history (2017 to June 2026) is the NOAA Storm Events archive, 2014–June 2026; it has no storms after it ends.
- 1.00 inlargest hail near the city, last 90 days (quarter size)
- 2days with hail 1 in or larger in the county, 2014–June 2026
- 14days with 58+ mph thunderstorm wind, 2014–June 2026
- #204 of 209among the cities we cover, by hail days of 1 in or more
Has hail hit my Richmond roof since it was installed?
County-level hail reports for Richmond from the NOAA archive this page uses; a county report is not proof of damage at your Richmond address.
If insurance covers it, what do I pay in Richmond?
Only if the claim is approved. The ACV math is a straight-line example over a 25-year life; insurers writing Richmond policies use their own schedules, so check your policy.
Request Sent!
A local contractor will reach out as soon as they review your request.
Hail near Richmond in the last 90 days
- 1.00 inLargest hail in 90 days (quarter size)
- 1Hail day near Richmond
- 1SPC report
- September 4, 2026Most recent event
Around Richmond, the NOAA Storm Prediction Center logged 1 hail report within 25 miles between September 4 and September 4, 2026, spread over 1 storm day. That day brought stones of 1″ or more, and 0 of the 1 Richmond reports with coordinates fell within 10 miles of the city center. In a typical year Richmond sees about 2 hail-producing storms.
Richmond's storm-climate context
Richmond sits in a humid subtropical zone where roofs face a demanding full-spectrum stress cycle. The record high of 107 F on August 6, 1918 and record low of -12 F on January 19, 1940 bracket a wide range that drives relentless expansion and contraction in shingles and flashings. The city averages 10.5 inches of snowfall per season, enough to create ice-dam risk along cold eave edges. Annual rainfall near 45 inches adds persistent moisture load, and coastal storm systems push well inland: in 2004 remnants of Hurricane Gaston dumped up to 12 inches of rain on the downtown area, causing extensive flood damage that overwhelmed drainage and saturated roof decks throughout the region.
Richmond's 226,610 residents (2020 census) anchor a diversified economy with Fortune 500 headquarters including Dominion Energy, Altria, and CarMax. That corporate density supports a large base of commercial and institutional roofing demand alongside an active residential replacement market driven by the city's mix of pre-war housing stock and newer suburban development. Insurance-driven hail and storm-damage claims have grown as tropical storm remnants increasingly reach the region, sustaining steady contractor activity year-round.
How close the hail came
Of the 1 Richmond reports, the closest landed 14.2 miles from the city center on September 4, 2026 (1.00″ at 2 SW Ashland). The worst Richmond day was September 4, 2026: 1 report, largest 1.00″. Near Richmond, 1 of 1 hail day reached 1″ or larger.
| Distance from city center | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Within 5 miles | 0 | — |
| Within 10 miles | 0 | — |
| Within 25 miles | 1 | 1.00″ |
Distances are straight-line from the city center to each SPC report point; reports without coordinates are left out of the table.
Hail events near Richmond by date
September 4, 2026 1 report, hail up to 1.00″ (quarter size)
| Time (UTC) | Hail size | Location | Distance from Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2121 | 1.00″ | 2 SW Ashland, Hanover County | 14.2 mi |
The Richmond tables above list preliminary Local Storm Reports from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Sizes are reported hailstone diameters; times are UTC. Reports can be added or corrected for about a day after each event. A quiet log does not mean no hail: small or unreported events happen. The closest report in this window landed 14.2 miles from Richmond's center.
View the 1 Richmond-area report on a map
On the Richmond map, circle positions are the NOAA SPC report coordinates; tap a circle for the date and hail size.
Hail size: < 1″ 1–1.75″ ≥ 2″ not recorded
How severe was it? The NWS yardstick, applied to Richmond's reports
The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1″ (quarter size) and significant at 2″ (hen-egg size). Scoring Richmond's 1 area report (filed in Hanover County) against that scale: 1 of the Richmond reports met the severe 1″+ criterion — the size at which asphalt shingles start taking granule loss and bruising that shows up as leaks a season later. At these sizes, damage on a Richmond roof is rarely visible from the ground, and homeowners policies typically cover it when it is documented promptly.
Hail history in Richmond: the long picture
County-level NOAA records for the county behind Richmond, 2014–June 2026. Each figure shows its source. Storms after the archive ends are not in these numbers. Ranks count from 1, the highest.
Richmond against the 209 cities we cover
- #204of 209Days with hail 1 in or larger in Richmond: bottom quarter
- #196of 209Days with hail 1.75 in or larger (golf ball) in Richmond: bottom quarter
- #196of 209Days with 58+ mph thunderstorm wind in Richmond: bottom quarter
- #138of 209Tornadoes in Richmond: middle
- #183of 209Reported storm property damage in Richmond: bottom quarter
- #34of 209Share of homes built before 1980 in Richmond: top quarter
Hail events by year
| 2023 | 2 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
Years with no record show as 0. In its busiest full year (2023) Richmond's county logged 2 events; the whole span, 2023 to 2025, holds 3.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county level, 2023–2025Hail history at a glance
- 3Hail events in the county, since 2017 (NOAA)
- 1.00 inLargest hailstone on record
- May 5, 2025Last recorded event in the archive
NOAA's archive for the county behind Richmond lists 3 hail events since 2017, about 0 a year in Richmond's county. Its most severe stone measured 1.00″. Set against that baseline, the 1 hail day near Richmond in the 90-day window above runs above the long-term average rate. Check your own Richmond address on the hail risk lookup.
Richmond's county logged fewer hail events than the Virginia median (10 per county since 2017), below the state's typical pace.
Three ways a storm reaches a roof
Hail
Richmond's county days with at least one report at that size. Largest stone: 1.00 in.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, 2014–June 2026Thunderstorm wind
14 Richmond's county days with 58+ mph
58 mph is the NWS severe threshold. Strongest gust on record in Richmond's county: 58 mph on Feb 21, 2014.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, 2014–June 2026Tornadoes
5 in Richmond's county
Strongest tornado in Richmond's county: EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, 2014–June 2026Costliest storm day
Sep 17, 2018
5 reports that day (5 tornado); reported property damage $35,000; county FIPS 51760, 2014–June 2026.
Source: NOAA Storm Events, 2014–June 2026Peak storm month
July
In Richmond's county, 13 of 44 hail, wind and tornado reports (30%) fell in July.
Source: NOAA Storm Events, 2014–June 2026Older homes
71.5% of Richmond homes built before 1980
About 81,000 of Richmond's 112,848 housing units (share times units, rounded). Median year built: 1959. Housing units, not roofs: many Richmond homes have been re-roofed since.
Source: Census ACS (Richmond city), 2019–2023Year-by-year table with the largest stone
| Year | Recorded hail events | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 largest stone | 1 | 1.00″ |
| 2023 busiest | 2 | 1.00″ |
NOAA Storm Events archive, Richmond's county. Years missing from the table have no record in the archive. * 2026 covers only January to June: NOAA's file ends there, so it is not counted as the worst year or in the yearly average.
In the archive for Richmond's county, 2023 was the busiest hail year (2 recorded events); the largest stone on record, 1.00″, fell in 2025. A Richmond roof older than 2023 with no documented inspection has probably taken at least one unexamined hit.
In a market with repeat hail, impact-resistant Class 4 shingles often pay for themselves through insurer premium discounts — worth discussing with a Richmond roofer if a recent event tips you into a replacement.
Richmond (independent city) fact sheet for Richmond homeowners
Housing age, federal disaster declarations and your state's claim deadlines in one place. All three come from public records, county level.
How old are the roofs? Homes in Richmond (independent city) by decade built
| pre-1940 | 28.6% |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 9.0% |
| 1950s | 14.1% |
| 1960s | 11.1% |
| 1970s | 8.7% |
| 1980s | 7.3% |
| 1990s | 5.7% |
| 2000s | 5.9% |
| 2010s | 8.6% |
| 2020+ | 1.1% |
112,848 homes, median built in 1959. 71.5% date from before 1980 and 9.7% from 2010 on; 43.5% are owner-occupied. The most common decade is the pre-1940.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey · data as of ACS 5-yearWhat to do if your roof was in the hail path
- Stay off the roof and read the yard instead. Hail came as near as 14.2 miles to Richmond (2 SW Ashland, September 4, 2026) in the last 90 days. Granule piles under a Richmond downspout and dents on gutters, vents and screens are the signs to look for.
- Photograph and date everything before repairs. For Richmond the worst day is September 4, 2026 with 1 report and a top stone of 1.00 in. Dated photos, a coin beside a hailstone and this NOAA log tie your loss to one storm day.
- Have a roofer look before you decide. The single hail day near Richmond reached 1 inch or more. Nobody on a Richmond lawn can see bruised shingles or lost granules, so a written scope from a roofer is the test for a claim.
- File by your policy's deadline; know the insurer's. The latest storm day near Richmond was 51 days ago. For a Richmond claim, state law sets the insurer's clocks (see the Virginia page below); your own reporting window is in the policy.
- Bring the written scope to the adjuster. Hand over the scope in writing: an adjuster working a Richmond claim then has the contractor's numbers. Step-by-step: the roof insurance claim guide.
Insurer clocks for Richmond homeowners: rule text, quotes and links on the Virginia claim-deadlines page (checked 2026-10-09). Not legal advice.
Hail in Richmond — questions homeowners ask
When did hail last hit Richmond, VA?
How large was the hail near Richmond?
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage in Richmond?
How often does hail hit the Richmond area?
How close did hail get to Richmond in the last 90 days?
How long does an insurer in Virginia have to respond to a hail claim?
Check your own ZIP in Richmond
The county figures above average over everything inside the county line. For a score tied to your Richmond address, run your ZIP through the hail risk lookup — Richmond ZIP codes include 23219, 23223, 23230, 23226, 23234.
Richmond neighborhoods — hail exposure varies by area
Hail paths track with storm cell movement, not city limits. If you're in Midlothian Terrace, Church Hill, Glenwood, Monroe Hill or Belmont, check your specific street against the report locations above — distance from Richmond's center is listed for each report.
Hail alerts for Richmond: join the list
We track NOAA hail reports for Richmond already. Email alerts are not sending yet — leave your address and you'll be on the list when they start. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
More resources
- Roofing contractors in Richmond
- Storm damage repair in Richmond
- Roof repair in Richmond
- Roof inspection in Richmond
- Insurance claim guide
- Roof replacement costs in Richmond
- Emergency roof repair
- All recent hail reports
- Hail risk lookup
Sources: NOAA Storm Prediction Center Local Storm Reports (last 90 days, preliminary) and the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county of the city, 2014–June 2026); U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (housing). The Storm Events archive used here ends in 2025, so storms between that date and the start of the 90-day log are not shown. How we collect data. Are you a roofer in Richmond? See how requests reach contractors.
How to cite this page
Free to quote with credit, under CC BY 4.0, no permission needed. The numbers are NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary reports: unverified, and not confirmed damage to any roof. This is not an official NOAA or NWS product.