Dallas County: Lakewood's hail, the 2019 tornado and the limits of a label

June 13, 2012: the Lakewood hailstorm

Hail up to baseball size caused considerable damage in the Lakewood area of Dallas that day. NOAA's entry says the roofs of many homes were damaged, some with holes, house and vehicle windows were smashed out, and a greenhouse attached to a home on Mercedes Avenue was destroyed. The entry, logged near Highland Park at 2.75 inches, carries a $900 million property damage estimate (NCEI event 386504).

Put that size next to the test. The largest projectile in UL 2218, the Class 4 steel ball, is 2 inches across, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. The Lakewood stones were bigger than anything a Class 4 shingle is certified against, which is why the label is best read as a tested level of resistance rather than a promise.

October 20, 2019: the northwest Dallas tornado

That night an EF3 tornado formed in northwest Dallas near State Highway 348 and Luna Road, tracked east-northeast across I-35E, and hit numerous commercial buildings between the freeway and Harry Hines Boulevard, with EF1 and EF2 damage to many businesses and homes (NCEI event 856409). Its Dallas County entry carries a $1.55 billion damage estimate. A second tornado the same night, rated EF2, peeled a wide section of metal roof off a warehouse in Garland (NCEI event 856477).

Wind damage like this sits outside the impact test. The Texas Department of Insurance points shingle buyers to wind ratings under ASTM D 3161 Class F or ASTM D 7158 Class H, a separate question from Class 4. Four years earlier, the December 26, 2015 tornado through Garland and Rowlett, rated EF4, killed ten people and injured 468 in Dallas County (NCEI event 606471); FEMA's DR-4255 for that outbreak includes the county.

The rest of the Dallas County record

From 2016 through 2025, NOAA's Storm Events Database logs 157 hail events of an inch or more in Dallas County, 23 of them 2 inches or larger, on 55 separate days, plus 12 tornadoes and 113 flash floods. A few entries show how the hail spreads around the county:

• May 24, 2011, Irving: grapefruit-size hail broke windows and damaged the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course during the Byron Nelson tournament, where crews repaired more than 4,000 divots (NCEI event 306259).
• June 6, 2018, Coppell and Carrollton: social media reports showed 3-inch hail in Coppell and in Carrollton.
• June 12, 2023, Cedar Hill: a photo showed 4-inch hail (NCEI event 1105878).
• May 28, 2024, Garland: a National Weather Service survey found winds up to 95 mph and widespread tree, fence and minor roof damage (NCEI event 1186742). FEMA's DR-4781 for the spring 2024 storms includes Dallas County.

Permits inside the City of Dallas

The city's Building Inspection FAQ exempts re-roofing of a single-family home or duplex from a permit only when the value of the work does not exceed $500, and it adds that historic and conservation districts carry their own exterior requirements. A full replacement will almost always clear that threshold. The same FAQ says re-roofing permits can be issued at a Building Inspection district office. Ask your roofer for the permit before work starts.

Buying a roof in Dallas with insurance in mind

If you choose a Class 4 product, TDI's roofing discounts page says the credit for each class is set by each insurer, along with the labels and paperwork it accepts. Keep the product wrapper label and ask the roofer to complete TDI form PC068. TDI also suggests checking whether your policy's wind and hail deductible differs from the rest, since Dallas County's recorded tornado damage in the window, about $1.96 billion, dwarfs its $4.1 million in hail damage (NCEI).

Roofers in Dallas and Irving

The National Roofing Directory lists roofers by city for Dallas roofers and Irving roofers.

Frequently asked questions

Does Dallas require a permit to replace a roof?

Yes, in almost every case. The City of Dallas Building Inspection FAQ exempts single-family and duplex re-roofing only when the work is valued at $500 or less.

Were the 2012 Lakewood hailstones bigger than a Class 4 test?

Yes. NOAA logged 2.75-inch hail for that storm (NCEI event 386504), while the Class 4 steel ball in UL 2218 is 2 inches (IBHS).

Would a Class 4 roof have helped in the 2019 Dallas tornado?

The Class 4 rating measures hail impact, not wind. For wind, TDI points to shingles tested under ASTM D 3161 Class F or ASTM D 7158 Class H, which is a separate rating to ask about.