Tarrant County: more inch-plus hail than any other county in Texas

A decade of hail in Tarrant County

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 465 hail events in Tarrant County from 2016 through 2025. Of those, 380 were an inch or larger, 102 reached 1.75 inches and 58 reached 2 inches, and they fell on 70 separate days (NCEI). The database attaches about $1.42 billion in hail property damage to the county over the same years, alongside 249 thunderstorm wind events and 20 tornadoes.

The storms behind the numbers

• March 17, 2016, west Fort Worth: hen-egg hail fell near Hulen Street and Vickery Boulevard, and heavy damage hit homes, businesses and vehicles along west Camp Bowie Boulevard; the entry carries a $200 million estimate (NCEI event 622774). Tennis-ball hail struck the TCU campus in the same storm (NCEI event 622771).
• March 24, 2021, Haslet: two-inch hail was reported through social media, and each of two Haslet entries carries a $58 million estimate (NCEI event 948059).
• June 12, 2023, Mansfield: broadcast media shared a photo of a 5-inch hailstone (NCEI event 1105872), the largest Tarrant County stone in the database from 2000 through 2025.
• March 4, 2025, Haltom City: straight-line winds consistent with 105 mph took off part of the roof decking on several homes (NCEI event 1248133).
• April 3, 2012, Kennedale to Arlington: an EF2 tornado cut a 6.4-mile path and carries a $200 million estimate (NCEI event 378595).

What Fort Worth asks for when a roof is replaced

The City of Fort Worth answers the common questions in a roofing FAQ:

• A permit is not required for a single-family or two-family home when only shingles are replaced and no decking is.
• A permit is required as soon as any decking is replaced.
• New decking cannot be installed over an existing layer.
• Crickets and drip edges are required on a re-roof if they are not already there, while an ice barrier underlayment is not required under the city's amendments.
• Sheathing in good condition on a roof that met code when it was built can stay.

That decking rule is worth connecting to the Class 4 label. The FM 4473 impact test mounts roofing on plywood decking in a panel built to simulate a real installation, so ask your roofer to inspect the deck and put any replacement in writing.

West and south: Parker and Johnson counties

Parker County logged 114 hail events of an inch or more over the decade and Johnson County 99 (NCEI). Three-inch hail fell in Weatherford on June 1, 2025 (NCEI event 1265491), and a photo showed a 4-inch stone in Burleson on June 12, 2023 (NCEI event 1105867). The nearly mile-wide Cleburne tornado of May 15, 2013 produced EF3 damage east of Lake Pat Cleburne (NCEI event 443356).

Claims history is part of the roof decision

In a county with 70 hail days in ten years, the claim itself carries weight. The Texas Department of Insurance's home insurance guide says most companies check the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, which shows seven years of claims on a person and a house, and that a company can charge more or decline coverage based on it. The same guide lists an impact-resistant roof, and no claims for three years in a row, among the discounts a company may offer, with each company setting its own. TDI's roofing discounts page adds that insurers decide which labels and paperwork they accept for impact-resistant credits. The Class 4 shingles guide covers the tests themselves.

Roofers in Fort Worth and Arlington

The National Roofing Directory lists roofers by city for Fort Worth roofers and Arlington roofers.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Fort Worth?

Not if you are replacing only the shingles on a single-family or two-family home and no decking is replaced. Once any decking is replaced, the city's roofing FAQ says a permit is required.

Does Tarrant County really get more hail than the rest of Texas?

For hail an inch or larger, yes: NOAA's Storm Events Database records 380 such events in Tarrant from 2016 through 2025, the highest count of any Texas county in that window.

Can a hail claim affect my homeowners insurance in Texas?

It can. TDI says most insurers use CLUE reports, which show a home's claims for the last seven years, and that a company can charge more or refuse a policy based on that history (TDI). You can get a free copy of your report each year.