The largest hailstone ever recorded fell on 22nd June 2003, and measured 7 inches in diameter (17.8 centimeters) and 18.75 inches (47.6 centimeters) in circumference, this is equivalent to almost the size of a football. The stone was from a severe storm that affected the area of south-central Nebraska, and was discovered in the town of Aurora. The stone was preserved by local residents and then transported to the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, where it will be preserved indefinitely. Although this may be the largest hailstone, it is not officially the heaviest as approximately 40% of the stone was missing from an impact with a house gutter as it fell. The heaviest hailstones on record fell in Gopalganj, Bangladesh, on the 14 April 1986 and weighed over 1 kilogram, they are reported to have killed 92 people. Hail causes nearly one billion dollars (U.S.) in damage to property and crops annually. The costliest United States hailstorm: Denver, Colorado, July 11, 1990. Total damage was 625 million dollars (U.S.).
