Giant Hail Terrorizes Northeast Ohio as Storm Smashes Cars and Homes

Published: Apr 17, 2026 - 8:26 a.m.

By Hollie Strano

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Northeast Ohio residents stepped into summerlike warmth this week, then watched the sky turn violent as one of the season's most destructive storms tore across the region Wednesday afternoon and night, pelting communities with giant hail, damaging winds, flooding streets and knocking out power to thousands. The setup began a day earlier when temperatures surged to 81 degrees, nearly 20 degrees above normal for mid-April. Warm, moisture-rich air pushed north into Ohio and sat in place until a powerful cold front arrived, colliding with the unstable air mass and igniting severe thunderstorms across the state. Warnings began shortly before 1 p.m. in Cuyahoga, Medina, Summit and northern Wayne counties as the first line of storms developed. Initial threats included wind gusts near 60 mph, but conditions quickly worsened as storms strengthened and began rotating. By late afternoon, a dangerous cell near North Ridgeville was racing east at 55 mph. Meteorologists noted it had already shown signs of a wall cloud, a signal that the atmosphere was capable of producing tornadoes in addition to hail and destructive wind. Between roughly 4:45 p.m. and 6 p.m., the storm entered its most intense phase as it crossed Cleveland and the southeastern suburbs during one of the busiest parts of the day. Hailstones ranging from quarter-size to tennis ball-size crashed onto homes, businesses and vehicles. Wind gusts climbed into the 60- to 70-mph range in some locations. Warrensville Heights was struck by 2.5-inch hail around 5:07 p.m., large enough to shatter windows, dent vehicles and tear apart roofing materials. Minutes later, radar indicated rotation near Shaker Heights and Bedford as winds reached an estimated 65 mph. Solon became one of the clearest examples of the storm's power. Hail reportedly fell so heavily that visibility dropped near zero in parts of the city. Parking lots, shopping centers and business districts were hammered as golf ball-sized ice stones pounded vehicles and buildings. Residents later emerged to find shattered glass, torn siding and extensive vehicle damage. The storm also reached into neighborhoods with personal and historic loss. In one 160-year-old home, windows that had survived for generations were broken during the hail barrage. Roadways across the region quickly became hazardous. Along Interstate 271 near Bedford, hail piled up fast enough to create slushy driving conditions more common in winter than spring. Traffic slowed to a crawl as drivers navigated ice-covered lanes and poor visibility. Heavy rain added another layer of danger. Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overwhelmed drainage systems in some communities. In Bedford Heights, several vehicles became stranded on flooded roads as water rose over pavement. The damage extended to the electric grid. Powerful winds brought down trees and utility lines across Northeast Ohio, leaving thousands without power in Cuyahoga, Summit and Portage counties. Crews worked through the night to restore service, while some customers woke Thursday morning still in the dark. Outside Greater Cleveland, Mahoning County was among the hardest hit, with thousands of outages still reported after sunrise. The April 15 storm was not an isolated event. It was part of a larger multistate outbreak that also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin and Michigan before sweeping east into Ohio. In Michigan's Saginaw County, an EF-1 tornado with winds of 105 mph uprooted rows of pine trees and damaged buildings just hours before the same system arrived in Northeast Ohio. The region now moves into cleanup mode, with homeowners inspecting roofs, siding, gutters and vehicles for hail damage while utility crews continue repairs. Forecasters are already watching another cold front expected this weekend that could bring a fresh round of severe weather. For many across Northeast Ohio, Wednesday's storm was a reminder that spring can turn dangerous in minutes, and that one warm afternoon can end with shattered glass, dark homes and streets covered in ice. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.