Did Hail Hit My House? How to Check Your Address (Free, Instant)

After a storm rolls through, the first question most homeowners have is simple: did hail actually hit my house?

The answer matters more than most people realize. Hail damage that goes unchecked can shorten a roof's lifespan by years, void your manufacturer warranty, and leave you holding the bill for repairs that your insurance would have covered if you had filed on time.

Here is how to find out exactly what hit your address, using free NOAA radar data.

The Fastest Way: Check Your Address on HailScore

HailScore gives you a free, instant hail risk report for any US address. Enter your street address, and within seconds you will see:

Every documented hail event within 8 miles of your home since 2015

The size of hail in each storm (in inches)

How close each storm came to your specific property

A 0-100 risk score based on frequency, size, recency, and proximity

Live MRMS radar data for storms in the last 24-48 hours (updated every few hours)

No signup required. No credit card. Free.

This is important: HailScore pulls from over 4.7 million verified NOAA radar records, the same database insurance companies and professional adjusters use. You are seeing real storm data, not estimates.

Why Zip Code Lookups Are Not Enough

A lot of people search "did it hail in [city name]" after a storm and stop there. That is not enough information to know whether your house was actually affected.

Hail is hyperlocal. A storm that produces golf ball-sized hail in one neighborhood may produce nothing but rain six blocks away. The storm track matters, the radar cell position matters, and the exact path of the hail shaft matters.

A city-level search tells you a storm happened somewhere in your zip code. An address-level search tells you whether the storm passed over your specific property.

HailScore shows you the distance from each storm center to your address in miles, so you can see at a glance which events were directly overhead versus which ones passed nearby.

What Hail Damage Actually Looks Like

If your HailScore shows a significant event, here is what to look for on your property before calling a contractor.

On asphalt shingles:

Hail impact leaves circular dark spots called bruises, where the granule surface has been knocked away. Press gently on a suspected impact point. If it feels soft or depressed, the mat underneath may be cracked. You may also see small craters or pockmarks across multiple shingles in a random pattern.

On gutters and downspouts:

Gutters are one of the easiest places to spot hail damage. Look for dents and dimples, especially on the top edge. If the storm dropped hail, your gutters almost certainly show it. Downspouts take dings on the front face.

On metal vents and flashing:

Hail leaves obvious dents on soft metal surfaces. HVAC caps, ridge vents, and plumbing flashings are reliable indicators. If those show impacts, your shingles were hit too.

On siding and window screens:

Look for dings on aluminum or vinyl siding, cracked wood trim, and torn window screens. These are easy to spot and support an insurance claim.

From the ground:

Many homeowners try to inspect from the ground using binoculars. You can spot obvious damage this way, but subtle bruising on shingles is nearly impossible to see without getting on the roof. That is why a professional inspection is recommended any time hail of 1 inch or larger has been documented near your address.

What to Do If Hail Hit Your House

If HailScore shows documented hail events near your address, especially any storm producing 1 inch or larger hail, take these steps.

1. Document before anything else.

Take photos of your property from the ground before any repair work begins. Time-stamped photos are critical for an insurance claim.

2. Schedule a free professional inspection.

Most reputable roofing contractors offer free roof inspections after storm events. A licensed roofer can identify hail impacts that are invisible from the ground and provide a written assessment you can submit to your insurance company.

3. Contact your insurance company promptly.

Most Colorado homeowner policies allow 1 to 2 years from the storm date to file a claim. Do not wait. The sooner you file, the cleaner the process. Reference the storm date from your HailScore report when you call.

4. Do not let door-to-door contractors pressure you.

After major hail events, unlicensed or out-of-state contractors flood hail-affected neighborhoods. Always verify a roofer's license, check their reviews, and get multiple bids before signing anything.

How Far Back Does the Data Go?

HailScore tracks NOAA radar data from 2015 to present. That means if a storm hit your property last spring, last year, or three years ago and you never filed a claim, you can still look it up.

This matters because some homeowners discover late that their roof was damaged in a storm from a year or two ago. Many insurance policies will still cover claims within the filing window. Knowing the exact storm date from your HailScore report can help you determine whether you are still eligible.

The Bottom Line

If a storm passed through your area and you are not sure whether it hit your specific address, do not guess. Check the data.

Enter your address at HailScore and get a free, instant report backed by 4.7 million NOAA radar records and live MRMS radar. It takes about 10 seconds and requires no signup.

If your score is 50 or above, or if any nearby storm produced hail of 1 inch or larger, scheduling a free professional inspection is the right next step.

If you need a court-ready PDF with your full hail history, NOAA sources cited for every event, HailScore also offers an official storm-history report for $9.95. Delivered to your inbox in about 60 seconds. Accepted by insurance companies and used by adjusters in claims documentation.