Hail up to 1.75 inches and downburst wind damage north of Columbus
- Date of loss
- Saturday, June 6, 2026 (late afternoon)
- Type
- Hail and downburst wind
- Largest hail reported
- 1.75 in. (golf ball) near Galena
- Hardest hit
- Northern Franklin and southern Delaware counties
What happened
The National Weather Service says several severe thunderstorms produced wind damage and hail on June 6, 2026, with the most intense storms over northern Franklin County and southern Delaware County. Downburst winds caused damage at multiple sites.
| Location | County | Hail size |
|---|---|---|
| Galena | Delaware | 1.75 in. (golf ball) |
| Shawnee Hills (2 mi. W of Powell) | Delaware | 1.25 in. (half dollar) |
| Dublin | Franklin | 1.25 in. (half dollar) |
Reported hail sizes from NWS and mPING storm reports. Hail varies street by street; these are the spots where someone reported it.
What hail this size does to a roof
Research presented to the American Meteorological Society found that hail about 1 inch across can damage 3-tab shingles, and about 1.25 inches can damage heavier architectural shingles. Gutters, downspouts, vents and siding often dent from smaller hail. Hail bruises shingles and knocks off their granules; from the ground the roof usually looks fine, but it ages faster and can start leaking months later.
Weren't home, or not sure the storm hit your house?
That's common. Many storms hit at night or while people are at work, and roof damage is often hard to see from the ground. Signs you can check safely from the ground:
- Dents in gutters, downspouts, metal vents or your AC unit
- Cracked or dented siding and torn window screens
- Shingle granules piled at the bottom of downspouts
- Shingle pieces in the yard, or neighbors getting roofs replaced
Before you file a claim
- Get the storm report for your address. Hail and wind vary street by street. We pull a storm report for your exact property so the date of loss you give your insurance company matches what actually happened at your home.
- Get a free inspection. We photograph any damage and mark hail hits in chalk. If we don't see storm damage, we'll tell you, and you won't need to file.
- Don't wait. Most policies require you to report damage promptly, and many set a time limit for filing a storm claim. Check your policy for its deadline.
- File with your insurer. We'll meet your adjuster at the house and point out the damage we documented.
A claim should only include damage the storm actually caused. That's why we check the storm report and inspect before you file. Lifetime Roofing Company is a roofing contractor, not a public adjuster.
This isn't the only storm that may have hit your home. Our storm dates list covers some of the larger, well-documented hail and wind storms in Central Ohio over the past year, and not every storm is listed. Storms that hit only a few neighborhoods often never make the news.