396
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$3.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Maryland: 396 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #217 nationally and #9 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Maryland: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Washington County is the 2010s, when 143 of the county's 396 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Washington County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 60.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #217 for this hazard and #9 within Maryland, putting it in the 93.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Washington County with 102 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2017 | SANDY HOOK | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 6, 1991 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2025 | PARAMT | 56 | $10K |
| Nov 6, 2025 | (HGR)HAGERSTOWN RGNL | 57 | $0 |
| Nov 6, 2025 | HANCOCK | 52 | $10K |
| Jul 31, 2025 | HANCOCK | 52 | $3K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | MAPLEVILLE | 52 | $2K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | BOONSBORO | 52 | $1K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | SHARPSBURG | 52 | $3K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | FUNKSTOWN | 52 | $3K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | LINCOLN AVENUE | 52 | $3K |
| Jun 19, 2025 | WEVERTON | 52 | $2K |
Other hazards here
More from Washington County
- Hail 113
- Flood 60
- Flash Flood 45
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.
On Sunday afternoon, February 16th, a line of showers and thunderstorms moved across the Potomac River into southwestern Washington County, Maryland, near Dargan. A storm survey was conducted to inspect the storm's wind damage there. Damage was noted along the 1800 block of Back Road, as well as along Hoffmaster Road near the intersection of Harpers Ferry Road. Numerous trees were downed from a west-southwest wind gust that was measured 88 MPH by a home weather station in the affected area. In the 1800 block of Back Road, a large tree fell into a home. The wind turned to the south-southeast as it moved up the sharp canyon with Back Road as the road turns to the north into the stream valley there. Along Hoffmaster Road, a large metal barn had its west-southwest facing doors blown in somewhat by the wind. Also, a carport had part of its tin roof torn off from one home, and a small sunroom of another cinderblock structure was unroofed.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Washington County, Maryland?
396 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Washington County between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Washington County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Washington County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Washington County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Maryland.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/maryland/washington-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.