Live
Active alerts for this county
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
District of Columbia, DC; Allegany, MD; Anne Arundel, MD; Baltimore, MD; Calvert, MD; Carroll, MD; Cecil, MD; Charles, MD; Frederick, MD; Harford, MD; Howard, MD; Montgomery, MD; Prince Georges, MD; St. Marys, MD; Washington, MD; Baltimore City, MD; Arlington, VA; Clarke, VA; Culpeper, VA; Fairfax, VA; Fauquier, VA; Frederick, VA; Greene, VA; King George, VA; Loudoun, VA; Madison, VA; Orange, VA; Page, VA; Prince William, VA; Rappahannock, VA; Shenandoah, VA; Spotsylvania, VA; Stafford, VA; Warren, VA; City of Alexandria, VA; City of Fairfax, VA; City of Falls Church, VA; City of Fredericksburg, VA; City of Manassas, VA; City of Manassas Park, VA; City of Winchester, VA; Berkeley, WV; Hampshire, WV; Hardy, WV; Jefferson, WV; Mineral, WV; Morgan, WV
Washington County, Maryland severe weather history spans 652 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #471 nationally and #9 in Maryland.
652
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$12.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Washington County, Maryland severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washington County, Maryland severe weather history averages 9.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 237 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 41 events fall before 1990 and 611 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $7.0M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Washington County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 396 | 0 | $3.2M | 87 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 113 | 0 | $16K | 4 | 1956–2026 |
| Flood | 60 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 45 | 0 | $7.0M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2005 |
| Tornado | 15 | 0 | $1.6M | F2 | 1961–2024 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $145K | 0 | 1999–2007 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Washington County, Maryland severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 14 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-09-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-08-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-07-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washington County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | SANDY HOOK | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2007 | Lightning | WEVERTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 1998 | Tornado | HALFWAY | 0 | 1 | $200K |
| May 6, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A wind gust of 65 knots (75 MPH) was measured by the ASOS at Hagerstown Regional Airport (KHGR). Significant tree and power line damage was observed around Clear Spring and Maugansville. Several homes sustained siding damage, and two barns were partially unroofed. A resident near Hagerstown reported numerous trees uprooted over 200 yards.
An NWS storm survey team examined wind damage to structures and trees in an area from Sharpsburg to Keedysville to Boonsboro. A few outbuildings were destroyed and extensive tree damage was observed. Some homes sustained wind damage to their roof structures and one garage was damaged. Some of the damage to a barn, and one area of wind damage to trees between Sharpsburg and Keedysville, were severe. Many hardwood and softwood trees were snapped off at the trunks. Extensive damage was reported in Washington Monument State Park in Boonsboro, forcing the park to close for 2 weeks. All of the damage was aligned along the direction of the wind gusts and the damage was determined to be caused by straight line winds. Wind gusts to 100 mph are estimated based on the damage.
Numerous snapped and uprooted trees continued along a track from near the intersection of Wellspring Road and Jennifer Lane to near the intersection of Greencastle Pike and Cearfoss Pike. Several Sheds and Outbuildings were overturned or destroyed. A garage door was blown inward on a detached garage, leading to the failure of the roof structure. ||Numerous hardwood and softwood trees were snapped by Garden View Road, Maugansville Road and Cearfoss Pike. A recreational vehicle was blown onto its side and moved forty-five feet into a neighboring yard. Shingle damage was very common. A stone 19th-century home suffured a roof uplift.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
155,709
Population (ACS)
$296K
Median home value
17
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 |
| Jun 25, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 4, 2016 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Nov 20, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washington County, Maryland?
652 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $12.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washington County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 396 recorded events — 60.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washington County?
18 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 14 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washington County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washington County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washington County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washington 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
- Talbot County 327
- Wicomico County 300
- Somerset County 168
- Worcester County 267
- St. Mary's County 648
- Queen Anne's County 386
Cite this page
“Washington County, Maryland.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/maryland/washington-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.