Hail history for Benson, North Carolina
NOAA hail reports in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Benson since 1984, with preliminary reports to November 5, 2026.
Readout · Benson
- Last hail
- Apr 30, 2023
- 0.75 in, penny size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 1
- since Nov 5, 2021 · 1 report
- Largest ever
- 2.75 in
- baseball · Aug 5, 1997
17 reports on 15 days since 1984 · #96 of 255 North Carolina places
Hail map · Benson
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
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What the record says about Benson
The latest hail report in and around Benson is from April 30, 2023, 0.75 in (penny size). Since November 5, 2021 there has been one hail day; the biggest stones in that time were 0.75 in on April 30, 2023.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Benson logged 9 reports on 8 hail days, about 0.5 reports a year. That is about the same as the median North Carolina town on this site (0.5 a year) and ranks #96 of 255 North Carolina cities and towns on this site for all-time reports. Benson accounts for 10% of the 177 reports filed in Johnston County.
12% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 0% for the median North Carolina town on this site. The largest hail on record here is 2.75 in (baseball) on August 5, 1997 near Benson.
Reports were down 71% in 2016–2025 (2) compared with 2006–2015 (7). The busiest year was 2006, with 3 reports on 2 days. Hail here peaks in May (24% of reports); 53% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Benson 0.5
- Johnston County 5.1
- Median North Carolina town on this site 0.5
Hail days 2006–2025
- Benson 8
- Johnston County 51
- Median North Carolina town on this site 7
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Benson 12%
- Johnston County 2%
- Median North Carolina town on this site 0%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 0 |
Hail days since Nov 5, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2023 | 1 | 0.75 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | County | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 1997 | 2.75 inbaseball | Benson | Johnston | $200K | 16:15 local · NCEI |
| Aug 18, 2003 | 2.00 inhen egg | Benson | Johnston | — | 17:00 local · NCEI |
| May 20, 2006 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Benson | Johnston | — | 19:30 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 1988 | 1.75 ingolf ball | — | Johnston | — | 18:50 local · NCEI |
| Mar 28, 1984 | 1.75 ingolf ball | — | Johnston | — | 18:15 local · NCEI |
Sizes filed before 1996 are often rough estimates (round numbers like 7.00 or 8.00 in) without an exact spot; they are shown as NOAA filed them.
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 5 29%
- 1–2 in 10 59%
- 2 in + 2 12%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | County | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2023 | 0.75 inpenny | 3.65 ENE Benson | Johnston | 13:25 local · NCEI |
| Mar 27, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.56 E Benson | Johnston | 17:18 local · NCEI |
| Jun 21, 2011 | 1.00 inquarter | Benson | Johnston | 18:35 local · NCEI |
| Aug 5, 2009 | 1.25 inhalf dollar | 2.1 S Benson | Johnston | 14:35 local · NCEI |
| Jul 8, 2008 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.38 N Benson | Johnston | 12:40 local · NCEI |
| Apr 21, 2008 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.89 SE Benson | Johnston | 15:58 local · NCEI |
| May 20, 2006 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Benson | Johnston | 19:30 local · NCEI |
| May 5, 2006 | 0.75 inpenny | 2 SE Benson | Johnston | 17:40 local · NCEI |
| May 5, 2006 | 0.75 inpenny | 1 S Benson | Johnston | 17:35 local · NCEI |
| Aug 18, 2003 | 1.00 inquarter | Benson | Johnston | 17:15 local · NCEI |
| Aug 18, 2003 | 2.00 inhen egg | Benson | Johnston | 17:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 3, 2000 | 0.75 inpenny | Benson | Johnston | 15:45 local · NCEI |
Hail history near Benson
- Dunn 11 km · 12
- Four Oaks 13 km · 10
- Erwin 14 km · 12
- Newton Grove 23 km · 20
- Smithfield 23 km · 20
- Lillington 25 km · 25
- Clayton 31 km · 31
- Fuquay-Varina 32 km · 22
Questions about hail in Benson
How often does it hail in Benson, North Carolina?
17 hail reports have been logged in and within about 5 km (3 miles) of Benson since 1984. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 0.5 reports a year. That ranks #96 of 255 North Carolina places by number of reports.
When is hail season in Benson?
Most reports come in May, August, June. May alone accounts for 24% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Benson?
2.75 in (baseball size) on August 5, 1997 near Benson. 12% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Benson?
The most recent report in this data is from April 30, 2023 (0.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 5, 2026.
How many hail storms has Benson had in the last five years?
1 separate days with hail reports since November 5, 2021, adding up to 1 reports. The most recent was April 30, 2023.
Where does this hail data come from?
Hail reports come from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, which the National Weather Service compiles from spotter, public, law enforcement and media reports. Recent days use preliminary NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet until NOAA publishes final data. Only reported hail is counted, so areas with fewer people tend to have fewer reports.