Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 86 hail storms within 25 miles of Marion, IL. Of those, 60 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was baseball-sized or larger, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2026 was the most active year on record locally, with 26 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Marion| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 1 event | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 9 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 19 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 31 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 23 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 3 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 events |
| 2025 | 21 events |
| 2024 | 14 events |
| 2023 | 22 events |
| 2022 | 3 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Marion, with 26 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Marion typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | 3 N Makanda, IL | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-06-01 | 4 NE Murphysboro, IL | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-05-16 | 1 S Benton, IL | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-05-16 | Benton, IL | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-04-28 | 2 NNW Carbondale, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-28 | 3 W Creal Springs, IL | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-04-27 | 1 S Murphysboro, IL | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-04-27 | Murphysboro, IL | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-04-27 | Christopher, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Southwest side of Christopher. |
| 2026-04-27 | Dowell, IL | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2026-04-27 | CARBONDALE, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Hail estimated to quarter size fell in northwestern portions of Carbondale. |
| 2026-04-27 | Murphysboro, IL | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-04-27 | CHRISTOPHER, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Hail measured to quarter size fell on the southwest side of Christopher. |
| 2026-04-27 | DOWELL, IL | Severe | 1.75" | A photo showing hail estimated up to golf ball size was reported from near Dowell. |
| 2026-04-27 | MURPHYSBORO, IL | Significant | 1.00" | Hail measured to quarter size fell in Murphysboro. |
| 2026-04-27 | Goreville, IL | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2026-04-27 | West Frankfort, IL | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-04-27 | GOREVILLE, IL | Severe | 1.50" | Hail estimated up to ping pong size fell near Goreville. |
| 2026-04-27 | 1 S Spillertown, IL | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-03-05 | 4 ENE Cobden, IL | Destructive | 2.63" | Cocorahs station IL-UN-8 Cobden IL 4 ENE. |
NOAA has recorded 104 high-wind events within 25 miles of Marion, IL in the past five years. Of those, 103 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 96 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 75 events |
| Significant | 28 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-11 | Dowell, IL | 62 | Significant | — |
| 2026-06-17 | 1 SE Energy, IL | 47 | Significant | AWOS station KMWA Marion IL. |
| 2026-06-17 | 3 SSW De Soto, IL | 51 | Significant | ASOS station KMDH Carbondale IL. |
| 2026-06-17 | 5 SW Marion, IL | 41 | Moderate | Mesonet station COWI2 Crab Orchard IL. |
| 2026-04-27 | (MDH)CRBNDL/MRFYSBRO, IL | 64 | Severe | Measured thunderstorm wind gust at Southern Illinois Airport. |
| 2026-04-27 | DE SOTO, IL | 60 | Significant | Tree limbs were downed in Desoto and between Desoto and Carbondale. |
| 2026-04-27 | (MWA)MARION WLLMSON, IL | 75 | Severe | A powerful thunderstorm moving eastward caused tree limbs to be down along with minor roof damage to homes and an outbuilding in the Forest Park neighborhood of Herrin. |
| 2026-04-27 | CARBONDALE, IL | 64 | Severe | A tree was downed onto a porch as a thunderstorm moved through Carbondale. Time was estimated from radar. |
| 2026-04-27 | FERGES TOWN, IL | 81 | Severe | A surging portion of a storm line caused damage along Cedar Grove Rd north of Marion. Multiple trees were snapped or uprooted. Shingle damage occurred to homes and buildings. A play set was torn up and parts of fences downed. |
| 2025-10-19 | CHRISTOPHER, IL | 96 | Severe | A large tree limb was snapped and fell onto the roof of a house in Christopher. |
| 2025-10-19 | OLD DUQUOIN, IL | 90 | Severe | Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines and damaged crops 4 miles southeast of DuQuoin. |
| 2025-10-19 | WEST FRANKFORT, IL | 96 | Severe | A large tree limb was snapped off and fell onto a pickup truck in West Frankfort. |
| 2025-09-14 | COBDEN, IL | 60 | Significant | Several power outage reports were made from Cobden and Jonesboro as the thunderstorm outflow boundary swept through northern Union County. Distance from the storm core suggests wind was the predominant cause rather than lightning. |
| 2025-09-14 | BARR, IL | 70 | Severe | A powerful storm moved southwestward in Jackson County, producing several wind damage reports. Trees were downed along Country Club Road near the Murphysboro Walmart with power knocked out in the surrounding area. A tree was blown down across Pump House Road, just north of Chautauqua Road. Finally, broadcast media reported a tree blown down near IL-127, north of Etherton. |
| 2025-09-14 | NORTH CITY, IL | 60 | Significant | A couple of trees were blown down in North City by thunderstorm winds. Nearby wind speeds were estimated at 50-60 mph. |
| 2025-09-14 | BARR, IL | 70 | Severe | A large tree fell through a mobile home on New Era Road just north of Highway 13. |
| 2025-09-14 | PANKEYVILLE, IL | 85 | Severe | Delayed report. An anchored single-wide trailer was overturned and partially collapsed by thunderstorm downburst winds on Brier Creek Road. Nearby mature corn rows were also blown down. Thunderstorm winds are estimated to be around 80 to 90 mph. |
| 2025-09-14 | REND CITY, IL | 81 | Severe | A powerful storm tracked southward through Franklin County. The worst of the damage was at the South Marcum Campground on Rend Lake where numerous trees fell, including a group of half a dozen large trees. One of the trees at South Marcum Campground fell onto an RV. A tree was blown down at a residence south of Benton, with the top of the tree landing on a deck. Another tree fell along I-57 southbound between Benton and West Frankfort. |
| 2025-05-20 | MT PLEASANT, IL | 81 | Severe | Following the lifting of a tornado just west of Mount Pleasant, straight line wind damage uprooted a tree on Woods Rd and brought down tree branches further east. |
| 2025-05-20 | BUNCOMBE, IL | 90 | Severe | Straight line wind damage occurred to several trees along Pleasant Grove Rd southwest of Buncombe, following the lifting of a tornado, including trees that snapped or were uprooted. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Marion was on April 28, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Marion averages roughly 17 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 60 of the 86 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Marion in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Marion-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in IL cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Marion. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Marion took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationMarion sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.