Hail history for New Hanover County, North Carolina
Every NOAA hail report filed in New Hanover County since 1957, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · New Hanover County
- Last hail
- Aug 24, 2026
- 0.75 in, penny size · preliminary
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 3
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 4 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.50 in
- tennis ball · Jun 16, 1971
113 reports on 79 days since 1957 · #38 of 101 North Carolina counties
Hail map · New Hanover County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Roof damage after hail? Get a free inspection
Hail bruises shingles and cracks seals in ways you can't see from the ground, and most insurers set a claim deadline after the storm. The latest hail report in New Hanover County is from August 24, 2026. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about New Hanover County
The latest hail report in New Hanover County is from August 24, 2026, 0.75 in (penny size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 3 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 1.00 in on June 24, 2024.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, New Hanover County logged 40 reports on 26 hail days, about 2.0 reports a year. That is 15% less than the median North Carolina county (2.4 a year) and ranks #38 of 101 North Carolina counties for all-time reports. New Hanover County holds 1% of all 9,947 hail reports in North Carolina.
4% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 3% for the median North Carolina county. The largest hail on record here is 2.50 in (tennis ball) on June 16, 1971.
Reports were down 57% in 2016–2025 (12) compared with 2006–2015 (28). The busiest year was 1998, with 11 reports on 8 days. Hail here peaks in May (23% of reports); 62% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- New Hanover County 2.0
- Median North Carolina county 2.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- New Hanover County 26
- Median North Carolina county 32
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- New Hanover County 4%
- Median North Carolina county 3%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 0 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2026 | 1 | 0.75 in | View |
| Jun 24, 2024 | 2 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jan 9, 2024 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 1971 | 2.50 intennis ball | — | — | 17:00 local · NCEI |
| Jun 13, 1998 | 2.00 inhen egg | Wilmington Arpt | — | 15:47 local · NCEI |
| May 23, 1998 | 2.00 inhen egg | Wilmington | — | 16:30 local · NCEI |
| May 7, 1998 | 2.00 inhen egg | Murraysville | $2K | 22:40 local · NCEI |
| Jun 29, 2011 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 0.82 SSE Harbor Is | $2K | 15:15 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 52 46%
- 1–2 in 57 50%
- 2 in + 4 4%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Damage | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2026 | 0.75 inpenny | 2 WSW Castle Hayne | — | 19:13 UTC · NWS prelim. |
| Jun 24, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.71 E Kirkland | — | 15:17 local · NCEI |
| Jun 24, 2024 | 0.88 innickel | Kirkland | — | 15:12 local · NCEI |
| Jan 9, 2024 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.57 W Wilmington Beach | — | 16:39 local · NCEI |
| Jun 15, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | 2 N Myrtle Grove | — | 13:32 local · NCEI |
| May 7, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | 2.39 ESE Baymeade | — | 09:50 local · NCEI |
| Sep 9, 2019 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 S New Bern Jct | — | 17:42 local · NCEI |
| Sep 9, 2019 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.57 E Murraysville | — | 17:28 local · NCEI |
| Jul 12, 2018 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.82 W Baymeade | — | 15:18 local · NCEI |
| Jul 19, 2016 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.75 SW Baymeade | $200 | 13:15 local · NCEI |
| Jul 19, 2016 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.39 SW Baymeade | — | 13:12 local · NCEI |
| May 12, 2016 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.05 SW Murraysville | $1K | 15:35 local · NCEI |
Cities and towns in New Hanover County
| Place | Reports | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | 57 | 2.00 in |
| Wrightsboro | 10 | 2.50 in |
Smaller places with fewer than 10 reports
These places have too few reports for a page of their own, so their record lives here.
| Place | Reports | Hail days | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Beach | 9 | 7 | Jan 9, 2024 |
| Murraysville | 7 | 7 | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Myrtle Grove | 3 | 3 | May 10, 2002 |
| Sea Breeze | 3 | 2 | May 11, 2009 |
| Kings Grant | 2 | 2 | Jul 12, 2018 |
| Ogden | 2 | 2 | May 7, 2021 |
| Porters Neck | 2 | 1 | Jun 24, 2024 |
| Bayshore | 1 | 1 | May 29, 2003 |
| Kure Beach | 1 | 1 | May 10, 2011 |
| Silver Lake | 1 | 1 | May 3, 2016 |
| Skippers Corner | 1 | 1 | Aug 24, 2026 |
| Wrightsville Beach | 1 | 1 | Jun 29, 2011 |
Questions about hail in New Hanover County
How often does it hail in New Hanover County, North Carolina?
113 hail reports have been logged in New Hanover County since 1957. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 2.0 reports a year. That ranks #38 of 101 North Carolina counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in New Hanover County?
Most reports come in May, June, July. May alone accounts for 23% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in New Hanover County?
2.50 in (tennis ball size) on June 16, 1971. 4% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in New Hanover County?
The most recent report in this data is from August 24, 2026 (0.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has New Hanover County had in the last five years?
3 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 4 reports. The most recent was August 24, 2026.
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.