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Hail in Highlands County, Florida
60 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.
Highlands County, Florida, has 60 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 24 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 23 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 17 events against 38 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 5,668 hail events recorded in Florida; its 5.9 per 100 square miles compares with 10.6 statewide.
12 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.00 inches (hen egg size).
Compared with Florida
| Measure | Highlands County | Florida | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 60 | 5,668 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.9 | 10.6 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 5.8 | 2.6 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
2Mar
4Apr
9May
23Jun
9Jul
5Aug
7Sep
0Oct
0Nov
1Dec
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 60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 2022 | Hail | 1.75 in | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 2022 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2015 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2012 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2012 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2008 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Feb 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2006 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2001 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2001 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2000 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 1999 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1999 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1999 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1999 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1997 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 1993 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 1993 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 1990 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1989 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1980 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1974 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 1973 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Nov 1972 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1972 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Highlands County had?
60 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 Highlands County?
18 Jun 2022 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Highlands County?
The hail of 4 Apr 2022, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $500K.
How does Highlands County compare with Florida for hail?
5.9 events per 100 square miles against 10.6 statewide; the county holds 60 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.