Large Hail Storm Documented in Maryland - May 3, 2025
- Joseph Paoletti
- May 10
- 3 min read
Updated: May 27
On Saturday, May 3, 2025, a powerful storm system moved through Harford County. High winds and large hail were documented in Bel Air, Pleasant Hills, and other towns in Harford County.
The total initial list of Maryland towns included in the report are as follows:
1.00-inch, Damascus, MD (Montgomery County)
1.50-inch, Glenwood, MD (Howard County)
1.00-inch, McDonogh, MD (Baltimore County)
1.00-inch, Owings Mills, MD (Baltimore County)
1.75-inch, Timonium, MD (Baltimore County)
1.75-inch, Pleasant Hills (Harford County)
1.25, 1.75-inch, Bel Air, MD (Harford County)
1.00, 1.50-inch, Woodlawn, MD (Cecil County)
1.50-inch, Pleasant Hill, MD (Cecil County)
1.00-inch, Fair Hill, MD (Cecil County)
The towns listed above are not all the towns where hail occurred. Surrounding localities were certainly hit as well. It is impossible to know exactly where it hailed and where it didn't, but better certified reporting and modern technology has made hail storm mapping much more reliable over recent years. Still, models will never be exact.
Below is a video posted by Meteorologist Justin Berk taken from MaGerks Pub and Grill located in downtown Bel Air. As you can see, the hail consists of stones of various sizes. Justin also mentions in the video that much larger hail had already been reported about a mile south of where this video was taken from.
Hail stones of 1.50-inch and 1.75-inch in diameter were listed on the NOAA storm report website for Harford County. Hail of this size can easily damage the exterior of homes, including roofing and siding - especially aluminum siding. Hail, even of the smaller variety (.75-inch), can damage exterior metals like aluminum trim capping and gutters.
The extent of damages involves the direction of the storm relative to your home, the size and density of the hail, the driving winds, the age and slope of your roof, and the type of exterior cladding currently installed on your house (aluminum siding will damage much more easily than vinyl siding).
If your home fell within the hail storm swath, it is important to get your home's exterior inspected by a reputable, experienced, and local contractor. Since hail can damage roofing, siding, exterior metal trim capping, guttering, window screens, and potentially other exterior components of a home, it is important for you to know if your house was affected by this storm.
It is important to note that hail damage isn't always obvious for various reasons. Hail damage to your roof is often not visible from the ground. It takes a thorough inspection from a trained professional to determine if your roofing shingles have sustained damage.
Same goes for siding. While hail damage to vinyl siding may be obvious (holes and cracks), the denting that aluminum siding and other exterior metals may sustain can be subtle and only visible in the proper lighting. Also, since storms are directional, it's likely that one or two sides of your house sustained more damage than the others.
A lot of factors come into play when your house was hit by a hail storm. The main question that needs to be answered is, did your house sustain damage? If so, you'll want to make sure you get the proper repairs done. This will likely include a claim to your homeowner's insurance company.
What you'll be covered for depends on the extent of the damage, your policy, and other factors. This is why it's important for you to gain as much knowledge about your situation before you decide what's best for you. Getting a free inspection from a local and reputable contractor that has experience in dealing with these types of claims can prove to be invaluable.
Call or text me today to schedule your FREE inspection. I've been a Harford County resident for 19 years, and I've lived in Bel Air for 8 years. More importantly, I've been performing exterior insurance restoration (roofing, siding, and gutter replacement) for over 20 years.
Call or text today, or schedule your free inspection online. Don't wait! Call or text (410) 816-5544
