The Counties Hammered With The Most Hail Each Year

Every year, hailstorms pound large swaths of the United States, causing billions in damage to cars, rooftops, and crops. But not all parts of the country are hit equally. In a corridor nicknamed “hail alley” – stretching from eastern Colorado through western Kansas, Nebraska, and into parts of Texas and Oklahoma – hail falls 7 to 9 days a year on average, far above the national norm.

The geography and climate of the Great Plains make the region especially vulnerable. Warm, moisture-rich air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cold, dry air flowing off the Rockies, creating powerful updrafts capable of producing large hailstones. While dozens of counties in the Northwest and Mid-Atlantic have logged fewer than 10 hailstorms over the past 75 years, several counties in hail alley have recorded more than 1,000. A closer look at historical data reveals the counties where hail falls most often.

To determine the counties where hail is most common, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on historical hail storms from the NOAA. Counties were ranked based on the number of recorded hail storms within their borders from 1950 to 2024. The severity of hailstorms are based on the magnitude, or width, in inches, of recorded hail stones.

5. Oklahoma County, OK

Oklahoma County has recorded 1,153 hailstorms since 1950, placing it among the nation’s most frequently hit areas. Its worst event struck on May 16, 1960, when 5-inch stones pounded the region. 

4. Tarrant County, TX

Tarrant County has seen 1,234 hailstorms since 1950. Its most severe event came recently on June 12, 2023, when hailstones reached 5 inches across. Home to more than 2.1 million people, the Fort Worth area remains one of the country’s biggest urban centers exposed to frequent hail.

3. Sedgwick County, KS

Sedgwick County has been hit by 1,303 hailstorms over the past 75 years, ranking it among the most battered parts of the central Plains. Its worst storm on record occurred on September 15, 2010, producing enormous 7.8-inch stones – some of the largest ever documented in the U.S. 

2. Pennington County, SD

Pennington County has logged 1,559 hailstorms since 1950, more than nearly any other county in the country. The area’s most destructive recent event struck on August 8, 2020, dropping hail up to 4.5 inches wide.

1. El Paso County, CO

El Paso County leads the nation with 1,794 recorded hailstorms since 1950. Its worst event on August 9, 2004 delivered hailstones as large as 4.5 inches.