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Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Local Extreme Weather -Hail damage Greg Kopp, Western's ImpactWX Chair in Severe Storms Engineering shows the importance of hurricane ties for homes that are hit with extreme weather conditions such as tornadoes while discussing severe weather season at media event Thursday. Jack Hamilton, field coordinator for the Northern Hail Project, uses an air gun to demonstrate the damage that hail can create during extreme weather conditions. Both discuss the 2026 severe storm season, as well as ongoing efforts of the Northern Tornadoes Project and the Northern Hail Project. See Nicole’s story. June 25, 2026