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Fourth of July storms hammered west-central Nebraska and the Sandhills the evening of July 4, 2026. The worst hit Paxton, where supercell storms dropped tennis-ball-size hail (2.50") right along I-80, and the damage spread north and east overnight with golf-ball hail at Mullen, walnut-size hail at Stapleton, and a 68 mph wind gust at Scotia. Hail that large cracks shingles and shatters vinyl siding in a single pass — and much of the damage never shows from the ground.
2.50" (Tennis Ball)
Largest Hail
68 mph
Peak Wind Gust
9
Towns Hit
The Fourth of July turned violent across west-central Nebraska. On the evening of July 4, 2026, supercell thunderstorms fired near the Interstate 80 corridor and pounded Paxton in Keith County with the biggest hail of the event — the National Weather Service in North Platte logged tennis-ball-size hail (2.50") just before 9 p.m., with golf-ball hail (1.75") and walnut-size hail (1.50") in the same round of storms. Tennis-ball hail is well past the size that merely dents a roof; stones that large crack and puncture shingles, cave in skylights and vents, dent gutters and AC condensers, and shatter vinyl siding in a single pass.
As the storms rolled north and east into the Sandhills through the overnight hours, they laid down a long swath of damaging hail. Golf-ball hail (1.75") hit Mullen in Hooker County, quarter-size hail (1.00") fell at Purdum, Brownlee, and up at Chambers in Holt County, and by just after midnight the line was dropping walnut-size hail (1.50") on Stapleton in Logan County and half-dollar hail (1.25") at Merriman, out in the far northwest Sandhills. Arnold in Custer County took quarter-size hail, and near Scotia in Greeley County the Nebraska Mesonet clocked a 68 mph (59 kt) wind gust as the activity finally pushed east toward daybreak on July 5.
For west-central Nebraska and the Sandhills, this is one more round in a punishing summer of hail and wind. The July 4 storms piled tennis-ball and golf-ball hail onto a region that has been hit again and again since late spring, and much of that damage stacks up out of sight. Any home caught under this path is worth a close, professional look — hail damage frequently isn't visible from the driveway, and bruised shingle mats and broken granule surfaces can look fine from the street while quietly shortening a roof's life. Nebraska's insurance claim window doesn't stay open forever, so it pays to have a roof checked sooner rather than later.
Here's what was reported in each community along the storm's path. These towns sit outside the areas we list online, but we work throughout this region — reach out and we'll come take a look.
Tennis-ball hail (2.50") along the I-80 corridor the evening of July 4, with golf-ball (1.75") and walnut-size (1.50") hail in the same storm — the largest hail of the entire event and big enough to puncture shingles and shatter vinyl siding.
Golf-ball hail (1.75") in the heart of the Sandhills on July 4 — large enough to bruise the shingle mat, strip granules, and dent gutters and flashing.
Walnut-size hail (1.50") in two separate reports just after midnight as the storms tracked northeast through Logan County.
Half-dollar hail (1.25") out in the far northwest Sandhills overnight July 4–5 — the second straight week of hail for the town.
Quarter-size hail (1.00") in Custer County as the line pushed east — at the low end for damage, but enough to bruise aging or already-weathered roofs.
Quarter-size hail (1.00") on July 4 as the storms reached Holt County to the northeast.
Hail and wind don't follow city limits — a storm can pound one block and skip the next. Use the free tool below to pull the verified NOAA hail and wind history for your exact home address. In about ten seconds you'll see whether a storm actually hit your property — and that's how you know whether it's worth filing an insurance claim or booking a free inspection before your policy's deadline runs out.
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See storms near your home? Here's what to do next →
Storm damage is often invisible from the ground. Here's a homeowner's checklist after an event like this one.
In Nebraska you typically have a limited window — often one to two years from the date of the storm — to file a hail or wind damage claim. The sooner you document damage, the stronger your claim. We'll inspect your roof for free, show you exactly what we find with photos, and help you understand your options before you ever commit to anything.
If you live in Paxton, the Sandhills & West-Central Nebraska and this storm came through your area, let us take a look. There's no cost and no obligation — just an honest assessment from a local crew that's been doing this since 2012.
Fill out the form and we'll be in touch within a few hours.