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 50 hail storms within 25 miles of Portage, MI. Of those, 26 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 31 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Portage| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 2 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 4 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 6 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 14 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 21 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 3 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 31 events |
| 2025 | 1 event |
| 2024 | 15 events |
| 2023 | 3 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Portage, with 31 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Portage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-21 | 2 NW Brownlee Park, MI | Minor | 0.25" | Time estimated via radar. |
| 2026-07-03 | 2 NE Galesburg, MI | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-06-16 | 1 NE Vandalia, MI | Destructive | 2.00" | 2.17 inch measured hail stone measured with photo. Also observed ping pong to golf ball sized hail. |
| 2026-06-16 | Lawrence, MI | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | 4 W Decatur, MI | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-06-16 | 2 NNW Lawton, MI | Minor | 0.25" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | 5 SSE Kendall, MI | Moderate | 0.50" | — |
| 2026-06-16 | 3 W Westwood, MI | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-05-05 | 1 NW Westwood, MI | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-05-05 | 4 W Oshtemo, MI | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-05-05 | 2 WSW Westwood, MI | Moderate | 0.70" | Estimated pea to dime size hail on US-131 at Main St. |
| 2026-05-04 | 1 NW Three Rivers, MI | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-05-04 | THREE RIVERS, MI | Moderate | 0.88" | Media relayed picture of hail in Three Rivers around nickel size. |
| 2026-05-04 | Three Rivers, MI | Moderate | 0.88" | Media relayed picture of hail in Three Rivers around nickel size. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2026-05-04 | 2 SE Moore Park, MI | Moderate | 0.70" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.70 in.). |
| 2026-05-04 | 2 SE Moore Park, MI | Moderate | 0.50" | Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.). |
| 2026-05-04 | 1 NW Three Rivers, MI | Moderate | 0.70" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.70 in.). |
| 2026-05-04 | Three Rivers, MI | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-04-16 | 1 N Portage, MI | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-03-26 | 1 W Three Rivers, MI | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
NOAA has recorded 148 high-wind events within 25 miles of Portage, MI in the past five years. Of those, 130 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 81 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 46 events |
| Significant | 84 events |
| Moderate | 18 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-03 | 3 NE Portage, MI | 79 | Severe | — |
| 2026-07-03 | 1 ESE Lawton, MI | 53 | Significant | Mesonet station MILAW 0.9 SE Lawton (MAWN). |
| 2026-07-03 | 1 E Lawton, MI | 56 | Significant | Mesonet station EW6899 Lawton. |
| 2026-07-03 | 4 SE Allegan, MI | 39 | Moderate | Mesonet station MIALG 3.6 SE Allegan (MAWN). |
| 2026-07-03 | 6 SW Ceresco, MI | 39 | Moderate | Mesonet station MICER 6.8 S Battle Creek (MAWN). |
| 2026-07-03 | 1 SSE Springfield, MI | 44 | Moderate | ASOS station KBTL Battle Creek Executive Airport. |
| 2026-07-03 | 1 SSE Springfield, MI | 59 | Significant | ASOS station KBTL Battle Creek Executive Airport. |
| 2026-07-03 | 4 E Allegan, MI | 43 | Moderate | Mesonet station DW6933 Allegan. |
| 2026-07-03 | 4 E Allegan, MI | 40 | Moderate | CWOP station DW6933 Allegan. |
| 2026-06-17 | 2 SW Fishers Lake, MI | 49 | Significant | After the storms moved through. |
| 2026-06-16 | 3 NE Portage, MI | 41 | Moderate | ASOS station KAZO Kalamazoo/BC Intl Airport. |
| 2026-06-16 | 1 SSE Springfield, MI | 55 | Significant | ASOS station KBTL Battle Creek Executive Airport. |
| 2026-06-12 | 3 NE Portage, MI | 46 | Significant | ASOS station KAZO Kalamazoo/BC Intl Airport. |
| 2026-06-12 | 1 SSE Springfield, MI | 44 | Moderate | ASOS station KBTL Battle Creek Executive Airport. |
| 2026-06-10 | KALAMAZOO, MI | 64 | Severe | Trees and wires down on Locust Street in Vine neighborhood. |
| 2026-06-10 | MENTHA, MI | 60 | Significant | Trees power lines down. |
| 2026-06-10 | 2 SE Cooper, MI | 44 | Moderate | Mesonet station MIKZO 2.0 SE Cooper (MAWN). |
| 2026-06-10 | DECATUR, MI | 60 | Significant | Tree fell on vehicle. |
| 2026-06-10 | OTSEGO, MI | 60 | Significant | Large tree uprooted and damaged roofline of house. |
| 2026-06-10 | TEAPOT DOME, MI | 60 | Significant | Trees and wires down in Van Buren County. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Portage was on July 3, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Portage averages roughly 10 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 26 of the 50 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Portage in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Portage-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 MI 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 Portage. 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 Portage 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 ValidationPortage 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.