Verified Local Data · Kalamazoo County, MI
Kalamazoo Severe Weather and Roof Damage Statistics
Severe weather capable of damaging roofs is becoming more frequent in Kalamazoo County. National Weather Service records show 29 damaging wind, hail, and tornado events in Kalamazoo County across 2024 and 2025 combined, more than the 28 recorded in the previous eight years (2016 to 2023) put together.
NWS-Verified Numbers · Kalamazoo County, MI
Key Numbers at a Glance
This page collects the verified numbers for Kalamazoo County and Southwest Michigan so homeowners can see what their roofs actually face. All figures come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal record of severe weather, accessed July 28, 2026.
58 roof-relevant severe weather events (hail, damaging thunderstorm wind, high wind, tornado, ice storm) were recorded in Kalamazoo County from January 2016 through April 2026. (NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database)
2025 was the most active year on record in that window: 17 events. 2024 was second with 12. No other year since 2016 exceeded 8.
The county’s only EF2 tornado of the decade struck May 7, 2024. A second tornado (EF0) followed on May 15, 2025. Kalamazoo County had recorded zero tornadoes from 2016 through 2023.
Hail reached 2.00 inches twice: April 7, 2020 (Howlandsburg) and May 7, 2024 (Oakwood). Since 2020 the county has logged 8 hail events of 1.00 inch or larger, the size range commonly associated with asphalt shingle damage, in Milwood, Alamo, Vicksburg, Climax (twice), Texas Corners, Oakwood, and Howlandsburg.
The strongest measured thunderstorm gust of the decade was 76 mph on June 16, 2024. Gusts of 70 mph or more were measured in 2019, 2022, 2024, and 2025.
Across Lyster’s seven-county Southwest Michigan service area (Kalamazoo, Calhoun, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Allegan, Kent, Ottawa), NWS recorded 489 roof-relevant severe weather events and 36 tornadoes in the same window, including four EF2 tornadoes, all since May 2024 (Kalamazoo May 2024, St. Joseph May 2024, St. Joseph August 2024, St. Joseph March 2026).
July 3, 2026 windstorm: NWS damage surveys reported a 79 mph gust in Portage, among the strongest winds in the county in a decade. The event is awaiting formal publication in the NCEI database, which runs two to three months behind.
Kalamazoo County Events by Year
| Year | Total events | Hail | Damaging wind | Tornado | Largest hail | Strongest wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 60 mph |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 58 mph |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 64 mph |
| 2019 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 70 mph |
| 2020 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2.00 in | 61 mph |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 60 mph |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 75 mph |
| 2023 | 3 | 2 | 0 (1 ice storm) | 0 | 1.00 in | – |
| 2024 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 (EF2) | 2.00 in | 76 mph |
| 2025 | 17 | 0 | 16 | 1 (EF0) | – | 75 mph |
| 2026* | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 60 mph |
*2026 is partial: NCEI data published through approximately April 2026 as of July 28, 2026. The July 3, 2026 windstorm is not yet included.
Wind speeds converted from knots and rounded; “damaging wind” combines NWS Thunderstorm Wind and High Wind events.
What This Means for Your Roof
Asphalt shingle roofs in Kalamazoo are now weathering damaging events several times per year rather than once or twice. Hail at or above 1 inch can bruise or crack shingles in ways that are invisible from the ground but shorten roof life, and wind at 60 mph or more can lift or crease shingles along edges and ridgelines. After any of the events above, a free inspection is the cheapest way to know whether you have a claim-worthy problem before it becomes a leak.
Free inspection, written scope, no obligation. Learn how the process works on our storm damage roof repair page.
Kalamazoo Storm Statistics FAQ
How many severe weather events hit Kalamazoo County each year?
From 2016 through 2023 the county averaged about 3 to 4 NWS-recorded roof-relevant events per year. In 2024 there were 12 and in 2025 there were 17.
Has Kalamazoo ever had a tornado?
Yes. An EF2 tornado struck Kalamazoo County on May 7, 2024, the county’s strongest in the 2016 to 2026 record, and an EF0 followed on May 15, 2025.
What size hail damages an asphalt shingle roof?
Hail of 1 inch or larger is commonly associated with asphalt shingle damage. Kalamazoo County has recorded 8 such events since 2020, including 2 inch hail in 2020 and 2024.
Where do these numbers come from?
The NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the National Weather Service’s official severe weather record, accessed July 28, 2026. Event counts reflect verified NWS reports; actual occurrences can be higher because not every event is observed and logged.
Data source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, accessed July 28, 2026. Compiled by Lyster Exteriors, 2211 Miller Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49001. See also our Kalamazoo roofing season and install-window data, computed from NOAA daily temperature records.
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Think One of These Storms Hit Your Roof?
The record shows Kalamazoo roofs now take damaging hits several times a year. If one of the events above passed over your house, a free inspection tells you exactly where you stand before the next rain finds the damage.
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Lyster Exteriors · 2211 Miller Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 · (855) 597-8377
Data compiled by Lyster Exteriors, a Kalamazoo, MI roofing company serving Southwest Michigan since 1998.