Hail and wind leave cracked, dented and missing siding behind. Where insurance is involved, a contractor experienced with claims can prepare the scope the adjuster settles against.
We are a lead referral service, not a contractor. Free, no-obligation quotes.
Hail shows up more often than wind in the storm records for Dane County. From 2016 through 2025 NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 195 hail reports there, 152 of them hail an inch or larger (the National Weather Service's threshold for severe hail), against 117 reports of thunderstorm wind damage. The largest hail on record in that decade was 2.5 inches, about the size of a tennis ball, reported near Albion on April 18, 2025. The most recent severe hail in the record was 1 inch near Martinsville on August 16, 2025.
Reports peak in May, and 64 percent fall between May and August. A hailstorm can crack vinyl and chip painted fiber cement in ways that are easy to miss from the yard. Take photos soon after, before the next rain; they help an insurance claim.
| Year | Hail reports | Largest hail (inches) | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 24 | 2.20 | 14 | 0 |
| 2017 | 20 | 2.50 | 12 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1.00 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 | 1.00 | 11 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 1.50 | 7 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | 1.50 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022 | 34 | 2.50 | 19 | 1 |
| 2023 | 16 | 1.75 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 19 | 2.00 | 34 | 3 |
| 2025 | 59 | 2.50 | 8 | 1 |
These are counts of observations sent to the National Weather Service, not a count of storms, and they depend on how many people are around to report. Many wind speeds are estimates. Read the table for the pattern, not the exact numbers.
A panel cracked by something hitting it, or trim that has worked loose, is ordinary repair work with no claim attached.
Low upkeep and the lowest cost of the usual choices; the standard the others are priced against.
Fiber cement board, Hardie or an equivalent, heavier than vinyl and finished with paint.
Wood-look lap and panel siding in engineered wood, LP SmartSide being the common one.
Tell us about the house, and a licensed siding contractor working in Madison will contact you about a visit. Quotes are written after the walls have been seen and measured, not guessed over the phone.