Storm summary · August 18–19, 2026
August 18–19, 2026: Damaging winds and golf ball hail in Kansas City, Kansas
Late on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and early Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, a severe thunderstorm crossed Wyandotte County and moved into Kansas City, Missouri.
By Roof InspectorsUpdated
What happened
- When
- Aug. 18–19
- 2026
- Largest reported hail
- 1.75 in
- golf ball size
- Straight-line winds
- 70–80 mph
- NWS damage survey
- Kansas state disaster emergency
- Aug. 21
- Wyandotte County
Reported hail sizes
| Location | Reported hail |
|---|---|
| Piper, KS | 1.75 ina golf ball |
| 1 mile NNW of Maywood, KS | 1.75 ina golf ball |
| Kansas City, KS | 1.75 ina golf ball |
| Kansas City, MO (south of North Kansas City) | 1.75 ina golf ball |
| 2 miles W of Sugar Creek, MO | 1.75 ina golf ball |
| Independence, MO | 1.50 ina ping pong ball |
| 1 mile NW of North Kansas City, MO | 1.25 ina half dollar |
| 3 miles ENE of Jarbalo, KS | 1.00 ina quarter |
These are records for the wider area, not for your address. A storm on record doesn’t mean your roof was damaged, and it doesn’t mean your insurance company will accept that storm or date. That’s why an inspection is worth having: a roofing professional looks at the roof itself.
Hail in this storm: up to 1.75 in, Piper to Independence
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What happened, hour by hour
Times are Central Daylight Time and approximate. Many of the storm reports say their times were estimated from radar.
- Early storms knocked down trees near Easton in Leavenworth County, brought estimated 60 mph gusts and power outages near Ferrelview in Platte County, caused outages in Kansas City, Missouri, and downed large trees near Raytown.
- An emergency manager reported estimated 65 mph gusts and dime-size hail near Jarbalo. North of Piper, a large tree snapped at its base and a park shelter was flattened. Campers were tipped over near Basehor and Fairmount.
- Hail of 1.5 to 1.75 inches fell around Piper and Maywood, and one report described hail covering the ground. Hail of 1 to 1.75 inches followed in Kansas City, Kansas.
- The strongest winds hit.
The National Weather Service’s damage survey estimated peak winds of 80 mph on Roswell Avenue and 78 mph near Quindaro Boulevard and Hickam Drive in Kansas City, Kansas, then 75 mph near U.S. 169 and Harlem Road in Kansas City, Missouri, where an apartment complex had roof damage.
One storm report described a large walnut tree falling on a home and vehicles in Kansas City, Kansas.
- Hail of 1 to 1.75 inches was reported near North Kansas City, in Kansas City, Missouri, south of the river, and in Sugar Creek and Independence.
What the National Weather Service found
NWS meteorologists surveyed the damage and issued an initial report on Aug. 21. They described an elevated supercell thunderstorm that crossed Wyandotte County between about 1 and 2 a.m.
Damage in Kansas City, Kansas, was worst east of Interstate 635 and north of Interstate 70, especially in the Quindaro area, and matched straight-line winds of 70 to 80 mph rather than a tornado.
Radar showed signatures that the survey called indicative of a downburst. Buildings took the most damage on their west-facing walls and the west ends of their roofs, because the damaging wind blew from west to east.
The survey also noted hail up to golf ball size in parts of Wyandotte County, with smaller hail piling up a few inches deep in places. The findings stay preliminary until the NWS publishes its final Storm Data.
What radar estimated
Roof Inspectors stores NOAA’s radar hail estimates, called MESH (Maximum Estimated Size of Hail), on a grid of squares about two-thirds of a mile by half a mile.
For this storm, the largest estimates in Wyandotte County were a little over 2 inches, near Piper and near Quindaro in Kansas City, Kansas. The highest estimate in the metro, about 2.6 inches, was just west of Sugar Creek in Kansas City, Missouri.
Estimates of 1 inch or more covered a band from west of Piper east through Kansas City, Kansas, and into Missouri as far as Independence.
Declarations and disaster help
- StateGov. Laura Kelly issued a state disaster emergency proclamation for Wyandotte County on Aug. 21, which made state resources available for recovery. The Legislative Coordinating Council later extended it through Oct. 4.
- Federal
On Sept. 17, KCTV5 reported that the governor had asked FEMA for a major presidential disaster declaration. As of Nov. 3, FEMA’s public declarations data did not list a federal declaration for this storm.
In the first days after the storm, county emergency officials told KCUR that federal help for individual households was unlikely because the damage was concentrated in one county.
- SBA loans
Separately, the U.S. Small Business Administration made low-interest disaster loans available to homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits in Wyandotte, Johnson and Leavenworth counties in Kansas and Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri.
The SBA’s deadline to apply for physical damage loans was Nov. 2, 2026. Its Oct. 2 update said the SBA would still accept applications for 60 days after that deadline.
For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and private nonprofits, the deadline to apply for economic injury loans is June 1, 2027. Details are at sba.gov/disaster.
Before you hire a roofer
Six weeks after the storm, KCTV5 reported that tarps still covered many roofs in some Wyandotte County neighborhoods. When crews are booked up, it’s tempting to hire whoever knocks first. A few quick checks protect you.
- In Kansas, roofing contractors must register with the Kansas Attorney General before doing roofing work for pay. KS
- Ask for the registration number and look it up in the Attorney General’s online roofing registration directory. The status should read “In Good Standing.” You can also report an unregistered roofer to the same office. KS(opens in a new tab)
- In Missouri, state law (RSMo 407.725) bars contractors from promising to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible. MO(opens in a new tab)
- If you sign a roofing contract that will be paid by insurance, you can cancel it within five business days after your insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim isn’t covered. MO
- On either side of the state line, get a written contract, and take a closer look if a company wants full payment up front or cash only, or asks you to get the building permit yourself. The FTC lists both as warning signs. Both(opens in a new tab)
What to check from the ground
Stay off the roof.
- From the yard, look for missing, lifted or creased shingles, especially on west-facing slopes, where the NWS found the worst wind damage.
- Look for dents in gutters, downspouts and roof vents, cracked siding or window trim, and shingle granules piled up where downspouts drain.
- Inside, check ceilings and the attic for new stains.
Hail or wind nearby isn’t proof of damage, and a roof that came through fine doesn’t need anything. If you aren’t sure, check the storm history recorded near your address and consider a professional inspection.
If you do find damage, it helps to review your policy’s notice requirements, and whether to file a claim is your decision.
If you file a claim, even after an inspection, your insurance company decides what’s covered and what it pays. Roof Inspectors and our roofing partners can’t make that decision or promise an outcome.
The Kansas Insurance Department (800-432-2484 in Kansas) and the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (800-726-7390) answer consumer questions about policies.
Sources
Sources (17) · National Weather Service, NOAA SPC, KCUR and more
- National Weather Service Kansas City: Damage survey for the 08/19/2026 thunderstorm wind event, initial report (Aug. 21, 2026), via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive (opens in a new tab)
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center: Storm reports for Aug. 18, 2026 (preliminary) (opens in a new tab)
- NOAA: Maximum Estimated Size of Hail (MESH) product description (opens in a new tab)
- KCUR: Wyandotte County is still recovering after storms killed power. Federal help isn’t likely (Aug. 21, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Kansas Reflector via KCUR: Kansas Legislature extends disaster declaration for Wyandotte County storm (Sept. 7, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- KCTV5: Kansas governor requests federal disaster declaration for Wyandotte County storms (Sept. 17, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- FEMA: Disaster declarations (status checked Nov. 3, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Small Business Administration: Administrative Declaration of a Disaster for the State of Kansas, KS-20040 (Federal Register, Sept. 4, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Small Business Administration: Relief still available to Kansas businesses, private nonprofits, residents affected by severe storms (Oct. 2, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- KCTV5: Six weeks after storm, Wyandotte County residents say tarps and downed trees remain (Sept. 30, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Kansas Attorney General: Roofing Registration (opens in a new tab)
- Kansas Attorney General: Roofing Registration Directory (opens in a new tab)
- Missouri Revised Statutes § 407.725 (roofing contracts, deductibles and insurance) (opens in a new tab)
- FTC: How to avoid a home improvement scam (opens in a new tab)
- FTC: How to avoid scams after weather emergencies and natural disasters (opens in a new tab)
- Kansas Insurance Department: Storm and flood (opens in a new tab)
- Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance: Consumers (opens in a new tab)
Reported sizes are preliminary storm reports compiled from the sources above. Conditions at individual addresses vary.
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