Midland, MI Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail storm tracked through Midland, MI on May 17, 2026, producing stones up to 2.8 inches and prompting multiple NWS warnings and radar hail detections. The event moved through the area in the late afternoon and early evening.

What Happened

The storm sequence began with an NWS severe thunderstorm warning at 4:26 PM EDT and continued through a total of eight warnings issued between 4:26 PM and 6:49 PM EDT. Several warnings were issued as "NWS warning only" products based on storm reports and radar trends. Dual-polarization radar later flagged discrete hail signatures during the evening, with radar-derived hail detections recorded around 6:07 PM EDT and again near 6:49 PM EDT.

Trained spotters and members of the public supplied multiple surface observations. At 5:01 PM EDT a trained spotter submitted a photo and reported half-dollar sized hail in Frankenlust Township. Spotters and media relays recorded quarter- to half-dollar-sized hail through the 5:00 to 5:30 PM hour across Frankenlust Township. At 6:13 PM EDT media relayed a public photo of a roughly 2-inch hailstone near Unionville. Around 7:26 PM EDT a media relay reported golf-ball sized hail in Ruth. Additional quarter-sized reports came from near Unionville and Ubly in the early evening. The spotter and public reports aligned with the radar-detected hail swaths over the region.

Damage Assessment

Surface impact varied by town. Frankenlust Township produced multiple photographic reports of quarter- to half-dollar-sized hail during the mid- to late-afternoon, with a trained spotter and amateur radio operators documenting several images around 5:00–5:30 PM EDT. Unionville yielded a public photo of a roughly 2-inch stone at 6:13 PM EDT and a separate spotter report near 6:16 PM EDT that noted quarter-sized hail and small branches down. Ruth received media-relayed reports of golf-ball sized hail shortly after 7:00 PM EDT. Ubly produced a media-relayed photo of quarter-sized hail at 7:06 PM EDT.

Field reports show a mix of cosmetic and localized functional damage across the path. Photographs from Frankenlust Township show multiple dents consistent with quarter- to half-dollar stones on vehicle surfaces and outdoor fixtures. The Unionville photo demonstrates isolated large stones capable of causing windshield or panel punctures. Spotter notes of small branches down near Unionville indicate localized wind or convective outflow stress on trees concurrent with hail fall. No large-scale structural collapse or widespread roof loss appears in field reports. Repair needs will vary by property and exposure; photographic documentation from spotters provides specific timestamps and locations for claims and assessment teams.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections in Frankenlust Township, Unionville, Ruth, and Ubly. Start with priority checks on vehicle fleets, exposed HVAC units, and rooftop penetrations in properties that lie under the radar-detected swaths and that match spotter locations. Inspect roof coverings for pitting, black asphalt granule loss for composition shingles, and localized punctures where photographic evidence indicates larger stones. Document damage with close-up images, an overall photo of the structure, and GPS or address-level location data. Include the spotter report times when available to tie observations to storm passage.