Glass shards flew everywhere as Eric Gockel waited out one of the worst hailstorms to hit Missouri. One of the softball-size hunks of ice that hit the Springfield area on Tuesday measured 4.75 inches (12 centimeters). The hail killed an emu at the zoo, injured some drivers, knocked out power to thousands and damaged hundreds of vehicles and even some aircraft. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.