1.00–1.50 inch hail confirmed across northern Illinois on Aug 22

A line of severe thunderstorms moved through northern Illinois on the afternoon of Saturday, August 22, 2026, depositing confirmed hail ranging from one inch to one-and-a-half inches across four counties. National Weather Service meteorologists with NWS Chicago (LOT) and NWS Davenport (DVN) logged verified storm reports stretching from De Kalb County in the east through Winnebago and La Salle counties and into Carroll County to the northwest, as successive storm cells tracked across the region from mid-afternoon into early evening.

For residents of Sycamore, DeKalb, Machesney Park, Rockford, Mendota, Dixon, and Savanna — all in or near Saturday’s confirmed storm corridor — the next 48 to 72 hours matter. Hail at one inch and above carries enough kinetic energy to damage asphalt shingles, dent gutters and siding, and compromise roof systems in ways that often go undetected from street level. Acting quickly to document your property’s condition protects both your home and your insurance claim.

What the National Weather Service Confirmed

The following hail reports are sourced from the NOAA/SPC local storm report archive and are attributed to NWS Chicago (LOT) and NWS Davenport (DVN). All reports are from August 22, 2026, and are available at spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports.

• 3:09 PM CDT — De Kalb County, NWS Chicago (LOT): Quarter-size hail measuring 1.00 inch confirmed at a location 3 miles east of Sycamore. One-inch hail is broadly recognized as the threshold at which asphalt shingles begin to sustain measurable granule loss and impact bruising that accelerates long-term wear.
• 3:55 PM CDT — Winnebago County, NWS Chicago (LOT): Quarter-to-dime-size hail measuring 1.00 inch confirmed at a location 1 mile north of Machesney Park. This report places confirmed hail activity in the northern Rockford metro area during the mid-afternoon storm passage.
• 6:05 PM CDT — La Salle County, NWS Chicago (LOT): Ping-pong-ball-size hail measuring 1.50 inches confirmed at a location 3 miles north of Mendota. At one-and-a-half inches, hail carries substantially greater kinetic energy and is capable of causing more severe impact damage to roofing systems, siding panels, and exterior building components.
• 6:49 PM CDT — Carroll County, NWS Davenport (DVN): Quarter-size hail measuring 1.00 inch confirmed at a location 1 mile west-northwest of Savanna. This report extended confirmed storm activity into the northwestern corner of the affected region.

Together, these four NWS-verified reports document a broad storm track that crossed northern Illinois over roughly three and a half hours, affecting communities across a wide geographic spread from the DeKalb area northeast of the Fox Valley through the Rockford metro, south into north-central Illinois near Mendota, and west along the Rock River corridor toward Savanna.

What Homeowners in Sycamore, Machesney Park, Mendota, Savanna, Rockford, DeKalb, and Dixon Should Check Now

Even if your home appeared to come through Saturday’s storms without obvious damage, a systematic exterior inspection is your most important first step. Hail damage to roofing materials is frequently subtle at the point of impact and becomes apparent only when granule loss accelerates or moisture finds a path through a weakened shingle. You do not need to access your roof — a careful ground-level walk combined with a quick attic check will surface most warning signs.

Roof

• Walk the full perimeter and examine the roofline from multiple angles. Look for missing, lifted, curled, or displaced shingles.
• Inspect roof vents, exhaust caps, and metal flashing for visible dents or deformation. Metal components register hail strikes more clearly than shingles and help confirm whether the storm tracked directly over your property.
• From inside the attic, look for daylight penetration, damp or compressed insulation, or fresh water staining on sheathing or rafters.

Gutters and Downspouts

• Check the face and lip of your gutters for dents — these are among the clearest on-site indicators of damaging hail impact.
• Examine downspout splash blocks and ground areas at the base of each downspout for accumulated granules. Significant shingle granule loss will wash here after the first rain following a hail event.

Siding and Windows

• Walk all four sides of the structure and look for impact marks, cracking, holes, or splitting in vinyl or fiber cement siding panels.
• Inspect window screens and exterior trim for dents and tears. Screen damage is clear, documentable evidence that supports a hail damage claim.

Trees, Landscaping, and Outdoor Equipment

• Stripped leaves, broken small branches, and shredded foliage indicate large hail passed over your property and help establish the storm’s on-site intensity.
• Check the fins and housing of exterior HVAC or central air conditioning units for dents, which provide additional site-specific confirmation of hail impact.

Interior — Water Intrusion

• Inspect ceilings, attic insulation, and areas around chimneys, skylights, and roof penetrations for moisture or active leaking. If a vent cap or flashing was compromised during the storm, water may have entered your structure. Address any active leak immediately — do not wait for a scheduled inspection.

Homeowners in Rockford and Machesney Park can find more detailed local information on our Rockford storm damage restoration page and our Machesney Park storm damage restoration page.

If You Find Damage

Discovering hail damage does not have to be overwhelming. A clear, step-by-step response protects your home, preserves your claim, and ensures repairs are done correctly.

Step 1: Document Before You Touch Anything

Photograph your roof from ground level, your gutters, siding, windows, screens, and any outdoor equipment or vehicles that were exposed during the storm. Use your phone’s built-in timestamp, or verify your camera’s date and time are set correctly. Thorough photo and video documentation before any cleanup or temporary repairs is one of the most valuable assets you can bring to a hail damage claim.

Step 2: Prevent Further Damage

If you have an active roof leak or a visible breach in your exterior, contact a licensed contractor promptly for emergency tarping or temporary repairs. Most homeowner insurance policies contain a duty-to-mitigate provision requiring you to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage after a covered loss. Waiting too long can complicate a claim.

Step 3: Notify Your Insurance Carrier

Contact your insurer to report a potential hail claim as soon as practical. Your carrier will assign an adjuster and schedule an inspection of the property. As a licensed storm damage restoration contractor, Allied Emergency Services can prepare a thorough damage assessment and a detailed repair estimate, and our team is available to meet with your adjuster on-site to walk through our documented findings. Allied Emergency Services is a licensed restoration contractor — we do not negotiate, settle, or adjust insurance claims on your behalf; that role belongs to your insurer’s adjuster or, if you choose one, a licensed public adjuster.

Step 4: Work With a Licensed Illinois Contractor

Illinois requires roofing contractors to hold an active state license. Allied Emergency Services holds Illinois Roofing Contractor License #104.019029, active through December 2027, and has served northern Illinois homeowners and businesses through 27 years of storm seasons. A licensed contractor protects you against substandard workmanship and gives your insurer confidence in the proposed scope of repairs. Ask any contractor you contact to provide their Illinois license number before work begins.

This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or insurance advice. Coverage and claim determinations are made by your insurer based on your individual policy terms.

Contact Allied Emergency Services — 24/7

Hail damage can hide beneath the surface and worsen with each subsequent rain. If your home or business is in De Kalb, Winnebago, La Salle, or Carroll County — or anywhere across northern Illinois affected by Saturday’s storm — do not wait to have your property inspected.

Call Allied Emergency Services at (800) 792-0212 — we answer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Or text ESTIMATE to (844) 907-2546 for a fast response from our team.

With nearly three decades of experience in storm damage restoration across northern Illinois and the Greater Midwest, Allied Emergency Services is ready to help you assess the damage, document your claim properly, and restore your property to pre-storm condition.