Oklahoma City's hail belt and the roofs under it

Oklahoma County: the state's hail leader

From 2016 through 2025, NOAA's Storm Events Database records 297 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Oklahoma County, 73 of them at 1.75 inches or more and 24 at 2 inches or more (NCEI). Those reports fell on 64 separate days, or about six days a year with hail of that size somewhere in the county.

The largest stones of that decade came late in it. A storm chaser reported 4-inch hail near Interstate 40 and Peebly Road outside Harrah on May 17, 2025. On October 23, 2025, reports at the I-40 and Choctaw Road junction described hail growing from quarter size to larger than baseball size, a reminder that the season does not end in June; statewide, the database counts 212 hail events in October over the same ten years.

The costliest hail on the county's record is older. On May 29, 2012, stones of 1.25 to 2.75 inches damaged 8,000 to 10,000 vehicles and numerous homes around Edmond and Nichols Hills; the database carries a $250 million estimate drawn from media reports.

Wind matters as much as ice. On May 6, 2024, straight-line winds estimated at 87 knots, about 100 mph, swept southern Oklahoma County between two tornado paths, blowing out windows and causing minor roof damage and shingle loss. Later that year an EF3 tornado on November 3, 2024 tracked from southeast Oklahoma City through Choctaw and Harrah with an estimated $40 million in damage, and FEMA's declaration DR-4862 for those storms includes Oklahoma County.

Canadian County and El Reno

Canadian County, home to Yukon, Mustang and El Reno, logged 92 hail events of 1 inch or larger in the same decade, 21 of them 2 inches or bigger (NCEI). Its tornado history is what most people know:

• The El Reno tornado of May 31, 2013 is rated EF3 in the database, with eight deaths in Canadian County. The NWS Norman survey gives a 16-mile path and says all eight people killed were in vehicles.
• The same storm dropped hail recorded at 5.9 inches in El Reno. Photos suggested stones up to 6.3 inches, but with no official measurement, the 6-inch stone near Gotebo on May 23, 2011 remains the state's documented record.
• Two years earlier, on May 24, 2011, the Oklahoma Mesonet site near El Reno measured a gust of 151 mph as an EF5 tornado passed, the highest gust ever recorded at a Mesonet site.

Hail in Mustang reached 3 inches on August 14, 2018, and the big May 2013 storms are covered by FEMA's DR-4117.

After the storm: permits and registration numbers

Oklahoma's Roofing Contractor Registration Act ties the permit counter to the state registry. When a roofing permit is required, the contractor must give the permit official a registration number, and the official writes it on the permit (§ 1151.17). Building officials are told to refuse a roofing permit unless the applicant shows a registration or an exemption (§ 1151.3).

The act also bars anyone from offering roofing work, by advertisement or otherwise, without a valid registration. A contractor who was not registered and in good standing by January 1, 2027 cannot sell, bid, inspect or perform residential roofing work until the new residential endorsement is issued, no sooner than 30 days after passing the exam (§ 1151.25a).

You can confirm a registration through the CIB's roofing contractor search, and compare the name on the result with the name on the contract. The National Roofing Directory lists roofers in Oklahoma City and roofers in Edmond, and its Oklahoma storm center follows active weather. For the state rules in full, start on our home page.

Roofers in the Oklahoma City metro

Here are roofing companies listed on the National Roofing Directory in Oklahoma City and its western and eastern suburbs.

Frequently asked questions

How often does damaging hail hit Oklahoma City?

NOAA's database logs hail of 1 inch or larger in Oklahoma County on 64 separate days from 2016 through 2025, about six days a year on average (NCEI). Many of those days produce more than one report, which is why the event count is much higher.

Was the 2013 El Reno tornado an EF5?

The Storm Events Database lists the El Reno tornado as an EF3. NWS Norman describes it as one of the most powerful tornadoes sampled by mobile radar and the widest known tornado on record.

Does a roofer need a permit in Oklahoma City?

Ask the city before work starts. If a permit is required, state law says the roofer's registration number must go on the application and be written on the permit, which gives you a public record linking the job to a registered contractor.