Story perspectives

Hailstorm Kills Emu, Closes Springfield Zoo, Knocks Out Power

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

Four-inch hailstones battered Springfield, Missouri, shattering vehicle windshields and denting zoo roofs.
A 21-year-old emu named Adam died at Dickerson Park Zoo, leading to the zoo’s closure.
Zoo staff moved animals, including an injured male rhea, into shelters after receiving advance warning of the hailstorm.
The storm knocked out power for over 10,000 customers and damaged vehicles of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Humane Society, including a spay-and-neuter bus.

History

Historical Context

Today's Springfield hailstorm echoes the 1998 Midwest hail surge, when an August 23 severe storm in Wisconsin produced large hail and $5 million in vehicle and building damage, prompting Governor Tommy Thompson to seek federal aid. The region’s “Hail Alley” historically peaks in June, a pattern that underlies repeated large-hail events across Kansas City and Missouri.

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Story summary

Four-inch hailstones battered Springfield, Missouri, shattering vehicle windshields and denting zoo roofs.
A 21-year-old emu named Adam died at Dickerson Park Zoo, leading to the zoo’s closure.
Zoo staff moved animals, including an injured male rhea, into shelters after receiving advance warning of the hailstorm.
The storm knocked out power for over 10,000 customers and damaged vehicles of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Humane Society, including a spay-and-neuter bus.

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