Charles County, Maryland severe weather history spans 682 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 65.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #425 nationally and #8 in Maryland.
682
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
124
Direct injuries
$128.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Charles County, Maryland severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Charles County, Maryland severe weather history averages 9.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 238 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 37 events fall before 1990 and 645 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Charles County, Maryland record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $116.7M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Charles County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 446 | 1 | $9.0M | 72 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 96 | 0 | $857K | 4.5 | 1957–2024 |
| Flood | 43 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 39 | 0 | $340K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Tornado | 28 | 1 | $116.7M | F4 | 1973–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 18 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2006 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $80K | 0 | 1996–2008 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2003 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | $1.6M | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Charles County, Maryland severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
32 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 30 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-28 | EF4 | 3 | 122 | 38.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-04-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-06-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-02-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-05-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Charles County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2002 | Tornado | RISON | 1 | 122 | $114.0M |
| Jun 16, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | LA PLATA | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 18, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | GALLANT GREEN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | WHITE PLAINS | 0 | 1 | $100 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Hail up to the size of golf balls was reported near Waldorf. Hundreds of cars around the Waldorf area were significantly damaged due to the large hail, including broken wind shields and dented bodies. There were also reports of damage to hundreds of homes as well.
A team from the National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia concluded that a tornado struck southern Charles County just south of the US-301 Bridge at Morgantown. ||The tornado peaked at EF-1 intensity with winds of 90 mph produced damage beginning at the Potomac River Shoreline in Morgantown. The tornado moved northeast along Morgantown Road, ending its damage path just after it crossed over Route 257-Rock Point Road. ||While on the ground through Morgantown and along Morgantown Road, the tree damage was substantial with dozens of large trees snapped and uprooted in multiple directions along its path. It took several crews hours to remove numerous large trees and restore access down Morgantown Road. Many homes had some of their shingles removed and siding damage, and at least one home had roofing materials removed along the roof edge. More substantial structural damage was mainly limited to destroyed outbuildings and carports, except where trees fell on homes. ||The damage coincided with a tornadic signature on National Weather Service and FAA Doppler Radars.
An apparent microburst knocked down tens of trees along Chapel Point Road near State Route 6 in the Port Tobacco area just southwest of La Plata. Several large oaks were among them, and one caused $100 thousand in damage to a home. Physicians Memorial Hospital in Waldorf reported four times the usual Saturday night "business"; however, whether any of the services were storm related (to injury) was not determined.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
170,527
Population (ACS)
$429K
Median home value
24
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 4, 2016 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Nov 20, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Charles County, Maryland?
682 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $128.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Charles County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 446 recorded events — 65.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Charles County?
32 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 30 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Charles County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Charles County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Charles County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Charles County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 44 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Charles County, Maryland severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Cecil County 534
- Dorchester County 264
- Carroll County 684
- Frederick County 1,074
- Caroline County 265
- Garrett County 319
Cite this page
“Charles County, Maryland.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/maryland/charles-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.