Several convective storms earlier this month spawned hail as large as softballs, causing damage to more than 600,000 homes across the Central U.S., according to a weather bulletin by Jon Schneyer, director of catastrophe response for CoreLogic.

The weather disturbance occurring on March 13-14 resulted in 214 hail reports, with some measuring more than 2 inches in diameter, apparently setting a single day record for all National Weather Service offices, he said.

CoreLogic estimated hail greater than one inch in diameter affected approximately 660,000 single- and multifamily residential properties across the country over both days.

On March 13, Kansas and Missouri saw the most damage from the storm and hail.

Large hail greater than 3 inches fell on nearly 1,800 homes in Johnson County, just west of Kansas City, he noted.

The most heavily impacted counties in Kansas and Missouri on March 13 include Johnson County and Wyandotte County in Kansas and Clay County in Missouri.

As the storm continued, hail was reported overnight between March 13 and 14.

The most severe hail fell on nearly 500,000 homes in Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois and Arkansas, stated Schneyer.

Hail fell across a large portion of the U.S. on March 14, mostly impacting the cities and towns surrounding St. Louis.

So far, the hail in Kansas and Missouri recorded on March 13 is considered worse than any day in 2023, he added.