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 75 hail storms within 25 miles of Valparaiso, IN. Of those, 66 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 36 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Valparaiso| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | 2 events | Baseball+ size, structural roof damage likely |
| Destructive | 11 events | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 8 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 45 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 9 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 events |
| 2025 | 1 event |
| 2024 | 18 events |
| 2023 | 17 events |
| 2022 | 3 events |
2026 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Valparaiso, with 36 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Valparaiso 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-11 | 1 ENE Lakes of the Four, IN | Significant | 1.00" | relayed by media. |
| 2026-08-11 | Cedar Lake, IN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 S Crown Point, IN | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-08-11 | 3 E English Lake, IN | Destructive | 2.75" | Corrects time of previous hail report from 3 E English Lake. Photo on Facebook of baseball sized hail north of North Judson. Measured with a ruler. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 SE North Judson, IN | Significant | 1.00" | Reported by Trained Spotter. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 WSW Toto, IN | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 3 E English Lake, IN | Destructive | 2.75" | Hail damage to cars on Toto Road north of north Judson from baseball sized hail. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 W Toto, IN | Destructive | 2.75" | Photos of baseball sized hail between Knox and North Judson. |
| 2026-08-11 | Toto, IN | Destructive | 2.00" | Photo on Facebook of a 2 inch hailstone in Toto that fell at 930 AM CDT. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 N North Judson, IN | Destructive | 2.75" | Damage to car windshields and roofs in North Judson due to large hail. |
| 2026-08-11 | North Judson, IN | Destructive | 2.00" | Corrects time of previous hail report from North Judson. Photo of Hail just over 2 in diameter; about 2.25 inches. Tape measure shown. |
| 2026-08-11 | 3 E English Lake, IN | Destructive | 2.75" | Photo on Facebook of baseball sized hail north of North Judson. Measured with a ruler. |
| 2026-08-10 | North Judson, IN | Destructive | 2.00" | Photo of Hail just over 2 in diameter; about 2.25 inches. Tape measure shown. |
| 2026-06-25 | Highland, IN | Significant | 1.00" | Video shared to social media shows dime to quarter size hail near Ridge Road and 5th Street in Highland. |
| 2026-06-24 | HIGHLAND, IN | Significant | 1.00" | Video showed dime to quarter size hail near Ridge Road and 5th Street. |
| 2026-05-18 | 1 E Lakes of the Four S, IN | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of 1.0 inch hail east of Winfield. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-05-18 | BEATRICE, IN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2026-03-27 | 2 WSW La Porte, IN | Moderate | 0.88" | Reported at West Elm Street and Marquette Street. |
| 2026-03-26 | 1 E Lynwood, IN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-03-26 | 2 NE Highland, IN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
NOAA has recorded 295 high-wind events within 25 miles of Valparaiso, IN in the past five years. Of those, 294 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 99 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 1 event |
| Severe | 149 events |
| Significant | 144 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-11 | 1 NNW Crown Point, IN | 70 | Severe | Private weather station. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 NE Cedar Lake, IN | 73 | Severe | Private weather station: KINCEDAR5. |
| 2026-08-11 | St. John, IN | 80 | Severe | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 ESE St. John, IN | 72 | Severe | Private weather station: KINSAINT. |
| 2026-08-11 | 2 ESE Brems, IN | 71 | Severe | AWOS station KOXI Knox - Starke Co. Airport. |
| 2026-08-11 | Gary Airport, IN | 99 | Destructive | Peak gust of 86 kt or 99 mph measured at Gary Airport Tower. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 W Dune Acres, IN | 60 | Significant | Private weather station. |
| 2026-08-11 | Munster, IN | 76 | Severe | Private weather station. |
| 2026-08-11 | 4 N Beverly Shores, IN | 50 | Significant | Gust to 43 knots at the Michigan City Buoy. |
| 2026-08-11 | 4 NE Beverly Shores, IN | 75 | Severe | Gust to 65 knots at the Michigan City GLERL site. |
| 2026-08-11 | 4 NNE Beverly Shores, IN | 45 | Moderate | Michigan City Buoy peak gust of 39 kt. |
| 2026-08-11 | 1 N La Porte, IN | 60 | Significant | Small tree limbs down and estimated 60 mph wind gusts. Time estimated via radar. |
| 2026-08-11 | La Porte, IN | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-08-11 | 3 SSW La Porte, IN | 58 | Significant | AWOS station KPPO La Porte. |
| 2026-07-27 | 3 ESE Valparaiso, IN | 64 | Severe | A peak wind gust of 64 mph was measured at KVPZ. |
| 2026-07-27 | 1 WNW Dune Acres, IN | 57 | Significant | Private weather station reported 57 mph gust near Dune Acres along the Lake Michigan shore. |
| 2026-07-27 | East Chicago, IN | 55 | Significant | Private weather station reported 55 mph peak gust at East Chicago. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2026-07-09 | 2 SE South Haven, IN | 50 | Significant | A report on social media described 50 to 60 mph winds and small hail. There was a CoCoRaHS report of half inch hail in general vicinity, as well. |
| 2026-07-03 | Lynwood, IL | 59 | Significant | Personal weather station 1.3 miles WSW of Lynwood. |
| 2026-06-24 | HAMMOND, IN | 58 | Significant | A tree limb was blown down onto power lines near Carolina Avenue and 167th Street. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Valparaiso was on August 11, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Valparaiso averages roughly 15 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 66 of the 75 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Valparaiso in the last five years was baseball-sized or larger. Most Valparaiso-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 IN 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 Valparaiso. 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 Valparaiso 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 ValidationValparaiso 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.