The worst weather a roof can meet, worldwide and in the U.S.

The world records a roofer should know

The World Meteorological Organization set up its World Weather and Climate Extremes Archive in 2007, and its current records table is dated 31 July 2025. These are the entries that bear most directly on a roof:

Where the United States shows up

The United States holds several hemispheric and tornado records. The Western Hemisphere's heaviest hailstone, 0.88 kg or 1.94 lb, fell at Vivian, South Dakota, on 23 July 2010. Mount Washington, New Hampshire, still holds the Northern and Western Hemisphere gust record, 103.3 m/s or 231 mph, from 12 April 1934. WMO's biggest tornado outbreak by count is the 209 tornadoes of 27 April 2011 in the southeastern United States.

The U.S. hurricane belt against the world

The National Hurricane Center's climatology runs the Atlantic season from June 1 to November 30, with its peak on September 10. Among the landfalls covered on this site, the strongest on the U.S. mainland is Hurricane Michael, which came ashore near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base in October 2018 at 140 kt, a category 5. Even Michael's 919 mb landfall pressure, third lowest for a U.S. landfall since reliable records began in 1900, sits well above Typhoon Tip's 870 mb world mark. The hurricane belt guide covers where U.S. strikes cluster and the landfalls that set records.

Hail and wind, record by record

The hail records page follows the heaviest stones from Bangladesh to the Plains, including the single largest hail report that NOAA's Storm Events Database records for each of 26 storm states from 2000 through 2025. The wind records page sets the Barrow Island gust beside the U.S. and Bahamas landfalls NHC has documented, from Katrina to Ian.

Looking for a world roofers association?

There are real trade bodies for roofing contractors. Here are two national ones in North America, each described from its own site.

National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). NRCA was established in 1886 and is based in Itasca, Illinois. It describes itself as the voice of roofing professionals and a leading authority for information, education, technology and advocacy, and it represents contractors, manufacturers, distributors, architects, engineers and government agencies. The National Roofing Directory lists it as NRCA.

Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA). CRCA has served Canadian roofing since 1960 and says it leads the industry through technical expertise, standards of practice and collaboration, from its office in Ottawa. NRD's directory entry is CRCA Canada.

To confirm a contractor's membership, go to the body's own listing rather than a logo on a truck. CRCA publishes a member directory of Canadian roofing contractors and other members, and NRCA's affiliates page points to its member directory.

On the National Roofing Directory itself, a Verified listing means a person checks the company's phone, email, website, logo, services, rating, insurance and license, as the membership levels page explains. For state license rules, see NRD's roofing licensing guide, and to find a contractor in storm country, use the find-a-roofer directory.

For roofers who follow the weather

The Roofing Wire is NRD's free weekly issue, with a Storm Watch email of NWS alerts for the states you pick and a monthly tool giveaway. Contractors can claim a listing on the directory.

Frequently asked questions

What is the heaviest hailstone ever recorded?

WMO's record is a 1.02 kg (2.25 lb) stone from Gopalganj district, Bangladesh, on 14 April 1986. The U.S. record stone from Vivian, South Dakota, measured 8.0 inches across and weighed 1.9375 pounds.

What is the fastest surface wind gust on record?

A gust of 113.2 m/s, or 253 mph, at Barrow Island, Australia, during Tropical Cyclone Olivia on 10 April 1996; a WMO panel formally reviewed it in 2012. Tornado winds are a separate WMO record, topped by 302 mph at Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, in 1999.

When does the Atlantic hurricane season peak?

NHC puts the peak on September 10, and most activity falls between mid-August and mid-October.