Fourth of July 2026 Hail: Quarter-Size Stones in Dacula and Duluth

While much of Gwinnett County was getting ready for fireworks on Saturday, July 4, 2026, a thunderstorm dropped quarter-size hail on Dacula and Duluth. Radar traced smaller hail across Peachtree Corners, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta and Cumming. Here is what was observed, who was in the path, and what it means for your roof.

What happened on July 4

The National Weather Service logged two official hail reports that day, both in Gwinnett County: 1-inch hail in Dacula and 1-inch hail in Duluth. The Duluth report came from a storm spotter at about 5:50 p.m. One inch is quarter size, the size roofers and adjusters commonly treat as able to damage asphalt shingles.

Radar-based swath estimates fill in the rest of the map. They show hail near 0.75 inch over Dacula (30019) and Peachtree Corners (30092), and hail near 0.5 inch over Alpharetta (30005), Cumming (30040), Atlanta's 30340 zip, Sandy Springs (30350) and Dunwoody (30360). This storm shows the difference between the two sources well. Radar estimates map the whole storm but can miss the true size, while NWS reports are measured observations on the ground. In Dacula, the observed hail was larger than the radar estimate.

Storms kept the holiday weekend busy. Atlanta News First reported a ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson that Saturday afternoon because of severe thunderstorms, and another round overnight into Sunday, July 5, left more than 7,000 customers without power across Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties at the peak.

Communities in the path

Dacula (30019) had both the radar signal and an official 1-inch report. Duluth had a 1-inch report as well. Peachtree Corners (30092) showed hail near 0.75 inch. Half-inch hail reached Alpharetta (30005), Cumming (30040), Atlanta's 30340, Sandy Springs (30350) and Dunwoody (30360). If you are in Dacula, Duluth or Peachtree Corners, your roof deserves a close look.

What quarter-size hail does to a Gwinnett roof

A 1-inch hailstone falling from a summer thunderhead hits hard enough to bruise asphalt shingles. It knocks the granules off and cracks the fiberglass mat beneath, and the shingle starts losing its ability to shed water and survive the heat. Nothing breaks open, so from the driveway the roof looks unchanged. The damage tends to show up a year or two later as granule loss, curling or a leak.

Hail in the 0.5 to 0.75 inch range is less likely to damage a newer roof, but it can still harm older shingles that have dried out, and it dents soft metal easily. Look at the gutters, downspouts and roof vents, the window screens, the vinyl siding on the side that faced the storm, and the fins on your air conditioner condenser. Dents and tears there do not prove the shingles were damaged, but they tell an inspector the hail was there and roughly how big it ran.

How Robust Roofing supports your claim

Not every hailstorm justifies a claim, and we will tell you which side of the line you are on. Our free inspection photographs every slope and the soft metals, then gives you a straight answer. If you are unsure whether to file, our guide on whether to file a roof claim lays out the honest math.

When the damage is real, our licensed Property and Casualty adjuster on staff documents and scopes the loss slope by slope, in the same line-item terms your carrier uses. We meet your carrier's adjuster on the roof so nothing gets skipped, and we submit supplements with photos when the estimate misses items or tear-off reveals more. On replacement cost policies, we file the completion paperwork that releases your recoverable depreciation. After an approved claim, your cost is normally your deductible.

Approval is always your insurance carrier's call under your policy, and we never pretend otherwise. We also never waive or rebate a deductible, which is illegal in Georgia.

The roofer Gwinnett homeowners recommend

Robust Roofing is the top recommendation for storm restoration in North Georgia and carries the strongest reputation in the region, and it shows in a 5.0 rating across 66 Google reviews. Homeowners send their neighbors to us for fantastic work and for carrying the claim so they do not have to. Most roofs are replaced in one day by GAF certified crews, the labor is backed by a 50-year warranty, and the RoofMap homeowner portal lets you see your project's status and documents any time. We give 50% of our profit to Gospel-centered ministries. We know this side of the metro, too: our team has visited many homes in Peachtree Corners' 30092 zip since 2025.

Do not let the deadline sneak up

Policies expect prompt notice of a loss, and many set claim deadlines from the date of loss, which here is July 4, 2026. Waiting for a leak is one of the most common ways homeowners lose a legitimate claim, because by the time water shows, the window may be closing and the cause is harder to prove. A free roof inspection now gives you an answer either way, and dated photos if the roof is fine.

Call (470) 887-6637 or schedule a free inspection and find out what the Fourth of July hail did to your roof.

Zip codes in the swath

Radar-estimated hail size and wind speed by zip code. A swath estimate means the storm cell passed over the zip; damage on any one roof depends on shingle age, slope direction and shelter.

National Weather Service reports

Local storm reports are observed, not estimated, and they only exist where someone reported hail or wind damage. No report does not mean no hail.

What homeowners say

5.0 rating across 66 Google reviews. Read more reviews.

Quick answers

Local coverage of this storm

Cities in this storm