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The NCEI Storm Events Database, explained

Storm Events is the official record of severe weather documented by NWS forecast offices: for hail, every quality-controlled event since 1955 (the database spans 1950–present; early decades cover tornadoes only, and hail/wind coverage standards evolve over the years). Entries carry dates, times, locations, magnitudes, damage estimates, and office-written narratives; NCEI compiles them into yearly files re-issued as corrections land.

Era effects matter for honest analysis: report density rises over the decades with spotter networks and population; pre-mid-90s entries are often county-referenced without point coordinates; the severe criterion changed in 2010. Comparisons across eras should say so — our metro pages start at 1996 for exactly this reason.

How far back can a hail history go?

The database starts in 1950, but hail events enter in 1955 and early decades are thin. Address-level distance math is reliable from the mid-1990s onward when point coordinates become standard; earlier events render honestly as county-level records.

Are damage dollar figures in Storm Events authoritative?

They are office estimates, often rounded and incomplete, useful as magnitude indicators, not as appraisals. Counts, sizes, locations and narratives are the load-bearing fields.

How do I cite a Storm Events entry?

By event ID, date, location and the database name with its compile vintage — e.g., "NCEI Storm Events event 1034512, Hail 1.75", Tarrant County TX, 2026-05-28 (file vintage d2026_c20260519)." Every row in our reports carries exactly that.

Sources and standing caveat

Official records referenced throughout: NCEI Storm Events Database (the official NWS storm record, 1950–present) and SPC daily storm reports (preliminary, same-day). NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure. Nothing on this page is legal, insurance, or public-adjusting advice — deadlines, coverage and remedies are policy- and state-specific.

Put the record in the file

A per-address verification report compiles every NWS-recorded hail and wind event within 1, 3 and 10 miles of any US address — distances, official narratives, citations, provenance labels — formatted as an insurance-appeal attachment, hosted on HailEvidence (the neutral evidence surface).

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