Why this wave matters even if your area "didn't get hit hard"

The April storms got most of the headlines because of the sheer footprint — 1.6 million housing units took hail across Texas in eight days. The May 6–11 wave is different. Smaller individual cells, more of them, repeat passes over the same neighborhoods, and almost no statewide news coverage. That combination is exactly when homeowners miss damage. You assume "if it had been bad, I'd have heard about it." Hail damage doesn't work that way.

Leander took three separate hail events in six days. Waco, Bryan, and College Station each took two. If your shingles were marginal coming into May, they are not marginal anymore.

City-by-city: May 6–11, 2026

Sourced from Hive's storm tracker + Interactive Hail Maps impact data

Date	City	ZIP codes	Notes
Wed, May 6	Dripping Springs	78620, 78737, 78676, 78652	Hill Country squall, marginal hail
Wed, May 6	Leander	78641, 78645, 78628	Edge cell, pea-to-dime sized
Sat, May 9	Pflugervillebullseye	78660, 78664, 78754, 78653	Largest in-area footprint of the wave
Sat, May 9	Austin (south)	78610, 78640, 78652, 78747, 78617	Buda / Manchaca corridor
Sat, May 9	San Marcos	78666, 78640, 78656, 78676	Quarter-sized hail reports
Sat, May 9	College Station	77840, 77845, 77843, 77807	Brazos Valley edge cells
Sun, May 10	Wacobullseye	76701–76712	Repeat hit from April 28 + April 30 swaths
Sun, May 10	Leander	78641, 78645, 78628	Second pass within 4 days
Sun, May 10	Bryan	77801, 77802, 77803, 77808	Brazos Valley north
Mon, May 11	Bee Cave	78738, 78734, 78732, 78733, 78746	West Lake / Lake Travis edge
Mon, May 11	Dripping Springs	78620, 78737, 78676, 78652	Second pass
Mon, May 11	Manorbullseye	78653, 78754, 78724, 78725	East-of-Austin corridor
Mon, May 11	Huttobullseye	78634, 78664	Williamson County north
Mon, May 11	Leander	78641, 78645, 78628	Third pass in six days
Mon, May 11	Georgetown	78628, 78626, 78633	I-35 corridor
Mon, May 11	College Station	77840, 77845, 77843, 77807	Brazos Valley repeat
Mon, May 11	Bryan	77801, 77802, 77803, 77808	Brazos Valley repeat
Mon, May 11	Wacobullseye	76701–76712	Third pass on Waco in two weeks

The three biggest bullseyes

1. Pflugerville (May 9)

The largest in-area footprint of the wave. Quarter-sized hail across 78660, 78664, 78754, and 78653. If you live in Pflugerville and didn't get up on a ladder this past weekend, this is the one to inspect first.

2. Manor + Hutto (May 11)

Tightly clustered cells east of Austin and north up into Williamson County. Smaller footprint than Pflugerville but higher hail-size reports — penny to nickel range, with isolated quarter reports near Manor proper.

3. Waco (May 10 and May 11)

Waco is now on its third hail event in two weeks. April 28, April 30, and now twice more in May. If your Waco roof looked OK after April, that's not enough — get it re-checked. Compounding hail events accelerate granule loss in a way that looks fine from the curb but fails on a HAAG-certified inspection.

What to do this week

Walk your property in daylight

You're looking for dents on metal vents, gutters, gutter caps, AC fins, and patio furniture. Hail damage on shingles is hard to see from the ground — but if the metal flashing around your chimney has fresh dimples, the shingles took the same hits.

Check the attic in the next storm

Granule loss from hail doesn't always cause leaks immediately. The faster way to spot trouble is to look for daylight or fresh water staining on plywood the next time it rains hard.

Don't sign anything from a door-knocker

Storm-chasing contractors are already in these neighborhoods. Some are legitimate. Many aren't. If a contractor pressures you to sign a contingency agreement before your insurance carrier has even sent an adjuster, walk away. A good local roofer will inspect first, document the damage, and then talk to your carrier with you — not for you.

Your insurance window is shorter than you think

Texas gives you one year from the date of loss to file a hail damage claim — but the longer you wait, the more depreciation eats your payout and the harder it is to prove which storm caused which damage. With multiple back-to-back events in your area, getting your roof documented now (even if you don't file yet) is the single most important step you can take.

Read: The real cost of waiting

Free 30-minute roof inspection

If you live in any of the cities above, Hive's HAAG-certified inspectors will document your roof for free — no contract, no pressure. We send you the photo report. You decide what to do next.

Schedule Inspection (512) 555-1234

Typical response: same-day or next-day inspection

Round Two: Central Texas Hail Recap (May 6–11, 2026)