Eagle Harbor, MI Hail Storm – July 2026

A severe hail-producing storm tracked through Eagle Harbor, Michigan on July 12, 2026, producing stones up to 2.48 inches and multiple radar and spotter detections. The event produced a series of discrete hail pulses from early morning into the early evening.

What Happened

The storm system generated 12 NWS alerts across the day with alternating radar-detected pulses and NWS warning-only periods. Early activity began at 7:35 AM EDT with a dual-polarization radar detection of roughly 1.94-inch hail. A mid-morning burst produced small hail, and an 11:38 AM EDT spotter-verified report described a quick burst of pea-to-nickel size stones near Eagle Harbor. The largest concentrated activity occurred around midday. Between 12:15 PM and 12:35 PM EDT, dual-polarization radar recorded a cluster of detections including 1.5- and 1.75-inch signatures, and a trained spotter at 12:24 PM EDT reported ping-pong- to golf-ball-sized hail in the town. Late-afternoon pulses returned to the area with additional radar detections near 3:43 PM and again around 4:46–4:53 PM EDT, when multi-sensor returns showed stone sizes exceeding one inch. Several alerts during the sequence were issued as NWS warnings without a dual-polarization radar hail signature. The pattern was intermittent rather than a single continuous line, producing discrete hail swaths across the Eagle Harbor footprint.

Damage Assessment

Local storm reports recorded two spotter-verified hail observations in Eagle Harbor. The earlier observation was a short-lived pea-to-nickel shower in mid-morning. The noon report described larger stones in the ping-pong to golf-ball range, concentrated near the spotter’s position in town. Radar detections indicate the mid-day pulse delivered the highest surface hail potential across the same area reported by spotters.

Field observations did not include broad storm-destructive reports submitted to the NWS beyond the two spotter observations. On the ground in Eagle Harbor, expect isolated impact signatures consistent with the noon pulse: dented vehicle panels, punctured or cracked skylight glazing on exposed units, and concentrated shingle granule loss on older asphalt coverings where exposure matched the radar-derived path. The later afternoon radar pulses were smaller in observed intensity but cover a wider set of addresses in town. Document any localized siding tears, sunroom glazing cracks, or fleet vehicle dents tied to the midday and late-afternoon swaths when compiling claims or inspection logs.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections for properties located along the radar-derived swath that intersects central Eagle Harbor. Start with the midday cluster area associated with the 12:24 PM EDT spotter observation. Inspect metal panels, aluminum trim, skylights, and sunroofs for dents and fractures consistent with ping-pong- to golf-ball impacts. Photograph concentrated damage patterns and note orientation of impacted surfaces relative to the mapped path.