Collin and Denton counties: where North Texas logs its biggest hail

Two counties near the top of the Texas hail table

NOAA's Storm Events Database gives these totals for 2016 through 2025:

Among the nine Dallas-Fort Worth counties covered on this site, Collin's 63 events of 2 inches or more are the most in the database, ahead of Denton and Tarrant.

Collin County: Wylie, Plano, Allen and Frisco

• April 11, 2016, Wylie: photogrammetry put one stone at 5 inches or more, possibly 6 (NCEI event 633035). In southeast Wylie, softball hail penetrated the roofs of some homes and businesses, and broken glass caused several injuries (NCEI event 628750).
• March 23, 2016, Plano: golf-ball hail at Park Boulevard and Preston Road shattered windows in cars, homes and businesses, the source of most of the damage (NCEI event 625682).
• May 19, 2023, Allen and Frisco: a 2.5-inch stone was measured near Greenville Avenue and Exchange Parkway in Allen, in an entry carrying a $400 million estimate (NCEI event 1100485), and a trained spotter reported 2-inch hail on Preston Road in south Frisco (NCEI event 1100480).
• May 25, 2024, Celina: a satellite tornado caused EF3 damage to at least two homes on Prairie Meadow Lane, with estimated maximum winds of 165 mph (NCEI event 1182315).

Denton County: Sanger, Flower Mound and Denton

• June 15, 2023, Sanger: the National Weather Service in Fort Worth examined a hailstone in person and measured it at 5.9 inches, a record for the North and Central Texas region; residents said only a few giant stones fell (NCEI event 1109306).
• June 11, 2023, Flower Mound: 4.25-inch hail near Cross Timbers and Shiloh roads damaged roofs and vehicles across the town (NCEI event 1105796).
• April 3, 2014, Denton: softball hail fell near the Texas Woman's University campus, and the entry cites an Insurance Council of Texas estimate of about 35,000 vehicles and 22,000 homes damaged (NCEI event 510755).
• May 28, 2024, The Colony: a weather station on a ham radio tower measured a 95 mph gust, according to the city's emergency manager (NCEI event 1186758).

Repeat hits and the age of your roof

With hail on 55 to 63 separate days in ten years, many neighborhoods here have been hit more than once. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that as roofs age, some companies switch roof coverage to actual cash value, which pays less for an older roof, and that your company should tell you when coverage changes. Check your renewal before the next spring season.

What Plano's re-roof handout asks for

The City of Plano's re-roof residential permit requirements say re-roof work not exceeding 25% of the roof does not require a permit. They also bar unpackaged "seconds" shingles, call for rotten decking or rafters to be replaced as needed, and require wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile to be removed before new covering goes on, subject to code exceptions. The final inspection includes an attic check of vent piping, rafter position and reinstalled water heater and furnace exhaust vents.

You cannot see Class 4 from the ground

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety explains that some impact-resistant shingles get a mesh or scrim on the back, while others use polymer-modified asphalt that looks no different from a standard shingle. The proof is the packaging: TDI's form PC068 has the roofer confirm the wrapper showed the UL 2218 class, maker, date and brand, and that a label went to the owner. The Class 4 shingles guide explains the test.

Roofers in Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Denton

The National Roofing Directory lists roofers by city for Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Denton.

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest hailstone recorded in North Texas?

The 5.9-inch stone that fell in Sanger on June 15, 2023. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth examined it in person and called it a record for the North and Central Texas region (NCEI event 1109306).

Does Plano require a permit to replace a roof?

Plano's re-roof handout says a roof permit is required on re-roof projects, with a final inspection that includes the attic, and exempts re-roof work that does not exceed 25% of the roof.

Can I tell a Class 4 shingle by looking at it?

Not reliably. IBHS notes that polymer-modified impact-resistant shingles show no visible difference from traditional ones (IBHS). Keep the wrapper label and the installer's paperwork.