Hagel: The German word behind a storm, a Stanley Cup run and a Pentagon chief
From a devastating supercell over Thuringia to Brandon Hagel's playoff heroics for Tampa Bay and the legacy of former US defense secretary Chuck Hagel, one German word ties together weather, sport and politics.
Hagel is the German word for hail — lumps of ice falling as precipitation, classified as hail only when their diameter exceeds 0.5 centimeters. It is also a German surname borne by notable figures including Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel and Chuck Hagel, the 24th US secretary of defense, who served from 2013 to 2015.
A supercell storm devastated a locality in Thuringia, Germany, as thunderstorms swept across the country's west and southwest, bringing high temperatures, heavy rain and the threat of hail. In German, that word is "Hagel" — and it happens to be a name shared by two very different public figures now in the news. One is Brandon Hagel, the Tampa Bay Lightning forward who scored his second goal of the game with 4:53 remaining in the third period to help his team tie its playoff series with Montreal — and who has also drawn a one-game NHL suspension for interference. The other is Chuck Hagel, the former Nebraska senator who served as the 24th United States secretary of defense from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama. The convergence matters now because all three stories are live: more storms are forecast for Germany, Tampa Bay's series with the Canadiens hangs in the balance, and the elder Hagel's career — from the Senate to the Pentagon to a public rebuke from China — remains a reference point in debates over American foreign policy.
One word, three stories: hail, hockey and a former Pentagon chief
Few words carry as much range as "Hagel." In German, it names the ice that falls from summer thunderclouds — lumps of frozen precipitation that meteorologists only classify as hail once they exceed 0.5 centimeters in diameter. Smaller particles are graupel; snowflake aggregates under a millimeter are Griesel. It is also a German surname, and right now several people bearing it are in the news at once.
In Germany, the word itself made headlines when a supercell storm devastated a locality in Thuringia, part of a stretch of high temperatures, heavy rain and thunderstorms across the country. Across the Atlantic, Brandon Hagel, a forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning, has become a central figure in the NHL playoffs — scoring twice in one game against Montreal while also drawing a one-game suspension for interference. And in Washington history, Chuck Hagel served as a Nebraska senator from 1997 to 2009 before becoming the 24th United States secretary of defense under President Barack Obama.
Hail over Thuringia: the supercell and what makes ice fall from a summer sky
A supercell storm devastated a locality in Thuringia, in central Germany, as severe weather swept across the country. Forecasters had warned of thunderstorms for western and southwestern Germany in the afternoon, part of a broader spell of unsettled conditions that brought high temperatures, heavy rain and thunderstorms, with hail and storms possible in some areas.
Hail is a form of precipitation consisting of lumps of ice. Despite its association with violent summer weather, it occurs mainly in the warm seasons and in the mid-latitudes, where the atmospheric conditions that produce it are most common. The same heat that drives temperatures upward also fuels the powerful convective storms capable of carrying ice aloft before it falls to the ground.
Not every frozen particle that drops from a thundercloud counts as hail. Meteorologists draw a precise line: ice pellets are classified as hail only when their diameter exceeds 0.5 centimeters. Anything smaller falls into a different category and is called graupel. There is a further distinction at the very bottom of the scale — aggregates of snowflakes with a diameter under one millimeter are known as Griesel, a German term for the finest form of this kind of precipitation.
The German word for all of this is Hagel. It is the term that would have been on the lips of forecasters as the storms built over the west and southwest, and it is the word that describes what a supercell of the kind that struck Thuringia is capable of producing. Such storms are the most organised and most dangerous form of thunderstorm, and they are the systems most likely to generate hailstones large enough to cause serious damage on the ground.
Brandon Hagel: Tampa Bay's playoff catalyst — and a suspension
Brandon Hagel delivered for the Tampa Bay Lightning when it mattered most, scoring his second goal of the game with 4:53 remaining in the third period to help his team tie its playoff series with Montreal. The performance came at the Bell Centre, where, according to reports, the home crowd booed him throughout the game.
The stakes had been high. Reports indicated the Lightning trailed the Canadiens 2-1 in the series after three games, putting Tampa Bay under pressure to respond on the road. Hagel answered. His two-goal night levelled the series and reinforced what observers had already been saying: reports described him as the Lightning's leading performer through the first three games. His postseason form has even prompted discussion, according to reports, over whether he has become Tampa Bay's most important forward.
The playoff run has not been without setbacks. The NHL handed Hagel a one-game suspension for interference, sidelining him at a critical point in the postseason. The league did not elaborate beyond the interference call in the material available, and the date of the suspension was not specified.
Hagel's rise has extended beyond the NHL season. According to reports, he also took part in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the international tournament that included a round-robin game between Canada and the United States. The date and outcome of that game were not given.
Between his international experience, his reported status as Tampa Bay's standout performer early in the series, and his late equalising goal in Montreal, Hagel has moved from supporting cast to centre stage for the Lightning. The suspension is a reminder of the fine line he plays — but the two-goal night under hostile conditions is the stronger evidence of what he now means to the team.
Chuck Hagel: from the Senate to the Pentagon
Chuck Hagel's path to the Pentagon ran through the Senate and, before that, through Vietnam. He represented Nebraska in the United States Senate from 1997 to 2009, a twelve-year tenure that made him one of the more prominent Republican voices on foreign policy. In 2008, near the end of his time in office, he gave an interview to SPIEGEL, a sign of the international attention his views attracted.
After leaving the Senate, Hagel stayed close to national security work. From 2009 to 2013 he chaired the president's Intelligence Advisory Board, positioning him for a return to government under President Barack Obama. By January 2013 he was Obama's expected nominee for secretary of defense, according to reports at the time, and he went on to serve as the 24th person to hold that office, from 2013 to 2015.
His biography before politics has also drawn interest. Hagel and his brother Tom both served in Vietnam, according to reports, a shared wartime experience that shaped his later thinking on military affairs. Tom Hagel took a different path after the war and is a law professor at the University of Dayton, the Dayton Daily News has reported.
Hagel's years in public life were not without friction. During his time at the Pentagon, China accused him of using threatening language in a speech criticizing its conduct toward neighboring countries. That episode, and the rest of the controversies attached to the Hagel name, are examined elsewhere in this article.
What the record shows is an unusually long arc through American public life: senator, intelligence adviser, cabinet secretary. Few surnames connect a Nebraska Senate seat, a presidential advisory board and the top job at the Department of Defense. Chuck Hagel's does.
Chuck Hagel serves as a U.S. senator representing Nebraska.
SPIEGEL publishes an interview with U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel.
Chuck Hagel chairs the president's Intelligence Advisory Board.
Chuck Hagel is President Obama's expected nominee for Secretary of Defense.
Chuck Hagel serves as the 24th U.S. secretary of defense under President Barack Obama.
Controversies: China's rebuke and a comedy-world critique
Chuck Hagel's tenure in public life was not without friction abroad. China accused the then-US Secretary of Defense of using threatening language in a speech criticizing its actions toward neighboring countries. The exact date of that speech is not given in available accounts. The rebuke underscored the tensions between Washington and Beijing during Hagel's time at the Pentagon, when disputes over China's conduct toward its neighbors were a recurring point of contention.
A different Hagel has drawn attention in a very different arena. Jenny Hagel, a writer for "Late Night," publicly criticized comedians she described as using offensive jokes while claiming to oppose political correctness, according to reports. The names of those she criticized, their responses, and the date of her remarks are not known. Her comments, as reported, took aim at performers she saw as hiding behind an anti-political-correctness stance while relying on material she considered offensive.
What to watch: more storms, an open playoff series
More unsettled weather lies ahead for Germany. Thunderstorms were forecast for the country's west and southwest in the afternoon, with high temperatures, heavy rain and the possibility of hail and storms in some areas.
On the ice, the Tampa Bay–Montreal series continues with the teams level. The dates and outcomes of the remaining games are not yet known, and whether Brandon Hagel can sustain his form, and how the Bell Centre crowd receives him, remains open.
Chuck Hagel, long retired from office, leaves a record that still draws scrutiny: his Senate years, his tenure at the Pentagon and the rebuke from China over his criticism of its conduct toward neighbouring countries.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Hagel?
Hagel is a German surname borne by several notable people. The best known are Chuck Hagel, the American politician who served as the 24th U.S. secretary of defense from 2013 to 2015, and Brandon Hagel, a forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL. The name is also carried by Jenny Hagel, a writer for 'Late Night,' and Tom Hagel, a law professor at the University of Dayton and Chuck Hagel's brother.
What did Chuck Hagel do?
Chuck Hagel served as the 24th United States secretary of defense from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama, having been Obama's expected nominee as of January 2013. Before that, he represented Nebraska as a U.S. senator from 1997 to 2009 and chaired the president's Intelligence Advisory Board from 2009 to 2013. SPIEGEL published an interview with him in 2008. During his tenure at the Pentagon, China accused him of using threatening language in a speech criticizing its actions toward neighboring countries.
What did Brandon Hagel do in the Lightning-Canadiens playoff series?
Brandon Hagel scored his second goal of the game with 4:53 remaining in the third period to help the Tampa Bay Lightning tie their playoff series with the Montreal Canadiens. According to reports, the Lightning had trailed the series 2-1 after three games, and Hagel was booed by the crowd at the Bell Centre in Montreal during the game. He was also described as the Lightning's leading performer through the first three games, prompting discussion of whether he had become the team's most important forward. Separately, Hagel received a one-game suspension from the NHL for interference.
What is hail and how big does it have to be?
Hail is a form of precipitation consisting of lumps of ice. It occurs mainly in warm seasons and in mid-latitudes. Ice pellets are classified as hail only when their diameter exceeds 0.5 centimeters; smaller particles are called graupel. Aggregates of snowflakes with a diameter under one millimeter are known as Griesel. In German, the word for hail is Hagel.
Was there hail or storm damage in Germany?
A supercell storm devastated a locality in Thuringia, Germany. Thunderstorms had been forecast for western and southwestern Germany in the afternoon, and conditions across the country included high temperatures, heavy rain, and thunderstorms, with hail and storms possible in some areas.
Compiled from reporting by 10 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
