States › Florida › DeSoto County › Hail
Hail in DeSoto County, Florida
18 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
DeSoto County, Florida, has 18 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 10 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 11 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 4 events against 14 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.3% of the 5,668 hail events recorded in Florida; its 2.8 per 100 square miles compares with 10.6 statewide.
3 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.75 inches (baseball size).
Compared with Florida
| Measure | DeSoto County | Florida | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 18 | 5,668 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 2.8 | 10.6 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 5.2 | 2.6 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
3May
11Jun
2Jul
1Aug
0Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 18 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jul 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2008 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 2005 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2003 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Sep 1996 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 1992 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has DeSoto County had?
18 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in DeSoto County?
30 Jul 2009 (Hail, 0.75 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in DeSoto County?
NCEI records no damage estimate for events of this type in the county.
How does DeSoto County compare with Florida for hail?
2.8 events per 100 square miles against 10.6 statewide; the county holds 18 of the state's 5,668 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.