Wind and hail both damage siding, and a lot of repair work follows a storm. If there is an insurance claim, a contractor who has worked claims before can write the scope the adjuster uses.
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Wind damage shows up far more often than hail in the storm records for Kent County. From 2016 through 2025 NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 59 reports of thunderstorm wind damage there, against 11 hail reports, 9 of them an inch or larger. The largest hail on record in that decade was 1.75 inches, about the size of a golf ball, most recently near Sand Lake on September 21, 2022. The most recent severe hail in the record was 1.5 inches near Rockford on June 20, 2024.
Reports peak in July, and 70 percent fall between May and August. High wind can lift and tear siding panels away at the edges, and a loose panel lets water into the wall behind it. Take pictures of any damage right away; an insurer will want them.
| Year | Hail reports | Largest hail (inches) | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 1.00 | 6 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 | - | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1.75 | 6 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 | 1.00 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1.00 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1.75 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1.00 | 9 | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 | 1.50 | 8 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | - | 13 | 5 |
A report is one observation, not one storm: a single storm can produce many reports, and busier places produce more of them than quiet ones. Wind speeds in these records are often estimated from the damage. Treat the table as a picture of what the county gets, not a precise count of storms.
A cracked panel, a loose length of trim or a course that has worked free is ordinary repair work, with no claim and no adjuster involved.
Where most re-siding budgets start: the lowest price of the common sidings, and washed rather than painted.
Heavier boards from James Hardie and others, painted, and priced above vinyl.
LP SmartSide and similar boards: the look of wood for less than fiber cement.
Describe the house and what you want done, and a licensed siding contractor who works in Grand Rapids will call to set up a visit. Siding is priced from measurements taken on site, so the number comes after that visit.