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NOAA/NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER STORM REPORTS

Hail, Wind & Tornado Reports in 1972

Public hail, wind, and tornado reports across the United States in 1972 from January 1, 1972 through December 30, 1972, sourced from NOAA/NWS Local Storm Reports and SPC storm report data.

Pick any date to see hail, wind and tornado public reports for that day — e.g. September 18, 2026.
Hail Reports
681
Wind Reports
712
Tornado Reports
778
Max Hail Size
4.00″
Source  NOAA SPC · NWS Local Storm Reports Coverage  United States · 1972 · 1972–present Updated  Daily · last Dec 30, 1972

NWS Hail Reports in 1972

30 reports
Free hail report for your home →
0.75″ hail
Dec 29, 1972
6:32 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Wichita County · 40,128 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, TX
1.75″ hail
Dec 29, 1972
6:25 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Sumner County · 8,391 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, KS
1.75″ hail
Dec 4, 1972
4:45 AM CST
Hail report for 1972
Rapides Parish · 39,442 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, LA
1.75″ hail
Nov 19, 1972
10:20 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Mohave County · 74,754 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, AZ
1.00″ hail
Nov 18, 1972
12:55 AM CST
Hail report for 1972
Harris County · 1,069,971 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, TX
0.75″ hail
Nov 18, 1972
12:37 AM CST
Hail report for 1972
Harris County · 1,069,971 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, TX
1.00″ hail
Nov 13, 1972
4:40 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Highlands County · 35,680 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, FL
0.75″ hail
Nov 12, 1972
9:30 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Tarrant County · 542,416 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, TX
1.00″ hail
Nov 12, 1972
9:15 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Denton County · 249,105 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, TX
2.00″ hail
Oct 10, 1972
8:55 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Cedar County · 6,845 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, IA
1.00″ hail
Oct 10, 1972
8:30 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Delaware County · 7,067 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, IA
2.50″ hail
Oct 10, 1972
8:30 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Delaware County · 7,067 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, IA
1.75″ hail
Oct 4, 1972
3:40 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Perry County · 6,439 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, IN
1.75″ hail
Oct 4, 1972
2:40 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Martin County · 3,347 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, IN
0.75″ hail
Oct 2, 1972
5:50 PM CST
Hail report for 1972
Polk County · 203,501 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, FL
Showing 15 of 30
Hail Damage Risk for Your Home +

Hail reports describe hail by diameter, often comparing stone size to familiar objects like peas, quarters, golf balls, and softballs. Use this guide as a starting point for possible hail damage to your roof, siding, gutters, vents, windows, and exterior. Actual hail damage depends on hail hardness, density, wind speed, impact angle, roof age, shingle condition, roof pitch, roofing material, installation quality, and prior storm damage.

Pea
0.25″
Low

Usually too small to cause hail damage to most sound asphalt roofs, siding, or gutters.

Mothball
0.50″
Sub-Severe Watch

Below the NWS severe-hail threshold, but not always harmless. Repeated small hail can scuff surfaces, wear aging shingles, and loosen protective granules over time.

Penny
0.75″
Minor / Watch

Below the NWS severe-hail threshold, but roof hail damage is still possible on older, brittle, poorly installed, or previously damaged shingles. May also mark screens, vents, gutters, and soft metal.

Nickel
0.88″
Minor / Watch

Still below the severe-hail threshold, but large enough to leave visible marks on soft metal and add wear to older or hail-weakened roof shingles.

Quarter
1.00″
Watch

The NWS severe-hail threshold. Quarter-size hail can bruise shingles, dent soft metal, and create roof hail damage worth checking.

Half Dollar
1.25″
Watch

More likely to dent gutters, vents, flashing, and siding. Hail damage risk rises quickly on older roofs or hail-weakened shingles.

Ping Pong / Walnut
1.50″
Likely

Hail damage becomes more likely, including bruised shingles, granule loss, dented siding, and damaged roof vents.

Golf Ball
1.75″
Likely

Often causes roof hail damage, cracked shingles, dented gutters, damaged flashing, and siding impacts. A roof inspection is recommended.

Hen Egg
2.00″
Serious

Can crack or puncture shingles, expose mat, dent siding, and cause widespread hail damage across the roof and exterior.

Tennis Ball
2.50″
Serious

Can cause heavy roof hail damage, punctured siding, broken skylights, damaged vents, and widespread exterior damage.

Baseball
2.75″
Major

Major hail damage is likely, including severe roof impacts, damaged siding, broken windows, and possible major roof repairs.

Tea Cup / Large Apple
3.00″
Major

Can cause heavy hail damage across the roof, siding, gutters, windows, and exterior. Significant repairs are often needed.

Softball
4.00″
Extreme

Destructive hail damage. Can severely damage roofing materials, siding, windows, gutters, vents, vehicles, and exterior surfaces.

Grapefruit
4.50″
Extreme

Catastrophic hail damage risk for roofs, windows, vehicles, siding, gutters, and exterior surfaces.

Source: NOAA / National Weather Service hail size references are used for hail-size comparisons and the 1.00″ severe-hail threshold. Damage descriptions are general homeowner guidance, not official NOAA/NWS damage ratings. Sub-severe hail under 1.00″ is below the severe threshold, but that does not mean “no roof damage.” Penny- to nickel-size hail can still contribute to granule loss, cosmetic surface marks, and added wear, especially on older, brittle, poorly installed, or previously damaged roofs.

NWS Wind Reports in 1972

30 reports
Free hail report + wind check →
58 mph
Dec 30, 1972
10:27 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Orleans Parish · 89,213 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, LA
UNK mph
Dec 30, 1972
2:00 AM CST
Wind report for 1972
Andrew County · 6,160 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, MO
UNK mph
Dec 30, 1972
12:30 AM CST
Wind report for 1972
Jasper County · 40,387 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, MO
UNK mph
Dec 30, 1972
12:30 AM CST
Wind report for 1972
Newton County · 19,006 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, MO
UNK mph
Dec 30, 1972
12:00 AM CST
Wind report for 1972
Crawford County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, KS
61 mph
Dec 6, 1972
12:28 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Dare County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, NC
69 mph
Dec 6, 1972
12:00 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Liberty County · 15,184 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, GA
61 mph
Dec 5, 1972
11:25 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Wayne County · 555,005 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, MI
63 mph
Dec 5, 1972
6:40 AM CST
Wind report for 1972
Galveston County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, TX
UNK mph
Nov 13, 1972
7:35 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Bay County · 53,986 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, FL
58 mph
Nov 13, 1972
4:14 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Okaloosa County · 64,961 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, FL
69 mph
Nov 13, 1972
3:49 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Santa Rosa County · 62,767 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, FL
60 mph
Nov 13, 1972
3:32 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Santa Rosa County · 62,767 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, FL
UNK mph
Nov 13, 1972
1:00 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Monroe County · 6,816 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, AL
UNK mph
Nov 13, 1972
12:23 PM CST
Wind report for 1972
Cass County · 10,098 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Wind Report Location: Not provided, TX
Showing 15 of 30
Wind Damage Risk for Your Home +

Storm reports list thunderstorm wind gusts in mph. The NWS marks storms as severe at 58+ mph, but wind damage to your home depends on roof age, shingle condition, installation, exposure, nearby trees, and prior hail or wind damage.

Below Severe
Under 58 mph
Minor

Usually little damage to a sound roof, but loose shingles, flashing, or debris may shift.

Severe
58–74 mph
Watch

Can loosen shingles, lift flashing, break limbs, and damage gutters, siding, fences, or trim.

Damaging
75–90 mph
Serious

Can peel shingles, damage vents, tear siding, rip gutters, and expose weak roof areas.

Extreme
90+ mph
Major

Can cause major roof covering loss, tree damage, broken windows, and structural damage.

Source: NOAA / National Weather Service storm reports. Gusts may be measured or estimated; actual wind damage varies by roof condition, exposure, and prior hail or wind damage.

NWS Tornado Reports in 1972

30 reports
F1 category
Dec 30, 1972
1:30 AM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Andrew County · 6,160 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, MO
F2 category
Dec 30, 1972
12:15 AM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Barry County · 12,439 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, MO
F2 category
Dec 29, 1972
11:15 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Mayes County · 13,560 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, OK
F2 category
Dec 29, 1972
8:15 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
McClain County · 14,066 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, OK
F2 category
Dec 21, 1972
12:45 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Suwannee County · 8,533 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, FL
F1 category
Dec 20, 1972
4:45 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Amite County · 4,442 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, MS
F2 category
Dec 15, 1972
7:00 AM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Escambia County · 11,307 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, AL
F0 category
Dec 6, 1972
10:10 AM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Escambia County · 100,747 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, FL
F1 category
Nov 18, 1972
6:45 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Lafourche Parish · 29,725 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, LA
F1 category
Nov 18, 1972
6:40 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Jefferson Parish · 126,441 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, LA
F0 category
Nov 15, 1972
6:15 AM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Miami-Dade County · 427,519 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, FL
F0 category
Nov 13, 1972
8:00 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Early County · 3,321 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, GA
F2 category
Nov 13, 1972
2:40 PM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Baldwin County · 83,367 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, AL
F2 category
Nov 13, 1972
11:30 AM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Lamar County · 18,195 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, MS
F1 category
Nov 13, 1972
9:45 AM CST
Tornado report for 1972
Smith County · 4,555 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Tornado Report Location: Not provided, MS
Showing 15 of 30
Tornado Damage Risk for Your Home +

After a tornado, the National Weather Service assigns an EF rating from EF0 to EF5 based on surveyed damage. The rating estimates wind speed from what the tornado damaged, so actual damage can vary by construction quality, roof age, garage doors, windows, trees, debris, and how close the home was to the tornado path.

EF0
65–85 mph
Light

Can peel shingles, damage gutters or siding, break tree limbs, and toss loose outdoor items.

EF1
86–110 mph
Moderate

Can strip roof covering, damage exterior doors, break windows, snap trees, and cause heavier siding or gutter damage.

EF2
111–135 mph
Serious

Can tear off large sections of roofing, break or uproot trees, destroy weaker structures, and cause major exterior damage.

EF3–EF5
136+ mph
Severe

Can remove roofs and walls, destroy large portions of homes, toss vehicles, and cause severe to total destruction near the path.

Source: NOAA / National Weather Service. EF ratings are assigned after a post-storm damage survey and are based on observed damage, not a direct measurement at every home.

NWS Hail, Wind and Tornado Reports in 1972 on the Interactive Map

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Hail
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Browse NWS Storm Reports by Month in 1972

December 1972 20
Hail, wind & tornado reports
November 1972 44
Hail, wind & tornado reports
October 1972 50
Hail, wind & tornado reports
September 1972 151
Hail, wind & tornado reports
August 1972 188
Hail, wind & tornado reports
July 1972 356
Hail, wind & tornado reports
June 1972 374
Hail, wind & tornado reports
May 1972 334
Hail, wind & tornado reports
April 1972 337
Hail, wind & tornado reports
March 1972 246
Hail, wind & tornado reports
February 1972 15
Hail, wind & tornado reports
January 1972 56
Hail, wind & tornado reports

Get a Remote Hail Inspection

Not sure if hail may have affected your home in 1972? Ask a local pro for a Remote Hail Inspection. They can review hail activity for your property and help you decide whether an in-person roof or exterior inspection makes sense.

Frequently asked questions

for homeowners, buyers & sellers
How many storm reports were recorded in 1972?

Our records show 681 hail, 712 wind, and 778 tornado reports in 1972, compiled from NOAA SPC and NWS Local Storm Reports. The most recent was reported on December 30, 1972.

What was the largest hail reported in 1972?

The largest hail size in these storm-report records in 1972 is 4.00″, reported near Bangor, WI.

Some reports show UNK instead of a wind speed or tornado rating — what does that mean?

Wind reports come three ways: measured from an instrument, estimated from the damage observed, or UNK when no speed was recorded. Tornadoes show UNK until the National Weather Service finishes a damage survey and assigns an EF rating. UNK simply means that value was not available when the report was filed.

A report appeared near my home in 1972 — is my roof damaged?

Not necessarily. A storm report shows that hail, wind, or a tornado was observed nearby, not that any specific home was hit. To find out whether your property was affected, check an address-level hail report, and if it looks significant, ask a local pro about a Remote Hail Inspection before scheduling roof work.

I am buying or selling a home — how do these in 1972 reports help?

If a storm passed through, a roof or exterior may have damage that is hard to see, or a recent repair may trace back to it. Buyers can ask better questions before closing, and sellers can document the home condition up front — both starting from the property address rather than a whole region.

How do I check what happened at a specific address in 1972?

Use the address search to pull a free address-level hail report for any property — no phone number or email required. It shows recent hail activity for that address so you know whether a closer roof or exterior review makes sense.

Where does this storm report data come from, and what are its limits?

Storm reports on this page are public reports from storm events in 1972 across the United States, sourced from NOAA SPC and NWS Local Storm Reports. They show where hail, wind, or tornado activity was reported, but they do not confirm damage at any specific property. Report locations, sizes, and times may be approximate and can vary from what an individual home experienced. For property-specific hail history, use an address-level hail report or contact a participating local professional for a remote hail inspection. Pros inclusion is not an endorsement, and contacting a professional does not confirm damage at any property.

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