May 2026 Hail Storm — St. Louis County, MO

A fast-moving squall line crossed St. Louis County on the afternoon of May 18, 2026, producing golf-ball to tennis-ball hail with 70 mph straight-line winds behind it. The heaviest core tracked from western Chesterfield through Ballwin and into Creve Coeur before weakening near I-170.

Damage reports concentrated along the I-64 corridor: dented gutters and vent caps, shredded window screens, and shingle bruising across west- and south-facing slopes. Because the storm carried strong horizontal wind, impacts landed at an angle rather than straight down, which is why so many homeowners saw damage on two elevations and nothing on the others.

If your home is in Chesterfield, Ballwin, Creve Coeur, Manchester or Maryland Heights, assume your roof was in the core until an inspection proves otherwise. Bruised shingles rarely leak right away — they simply start aging several times faster, and the failure shows up two or three summers later, long after the claim window has closed.

Most Missouri carriers require a claim be reported within one year of the date of loss. For this storm, that deadline is May 18, 2027, though some policies are shorter. Check your declarations page, get the roof inspected and documented, and file if there is a claimable loss.