NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Accident, MD
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Accident, Maryland since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Accident
The strongest storm to pass near Accident was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 74 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Accident begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 58 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site, 97% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Accident. The strongest of the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 2, 1998; its path came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 31, 1998, killed 1 person. Of the 31, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 9 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on August 31, 2024. Of the 239 Maryland cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Accident. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 21 times since 1992, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Accident.
Compare Accident's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Accident
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 70 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | overhead | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Accident: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Accident
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2000s4
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1998 | F4 | 21 mi | 36.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 15 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 15 |
| May 19, 1967 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.3 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F3 | 19 mi | 29.8 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Aug 25, 2023 | EF2 | 23 mi | 1.96 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F2 | 22 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F2 | 7 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F2 | 15 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1977 | F2 | 16 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 13, 1971 | F2 | 13 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jul 5, 1969 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 11, 2024 | EF1 | in town | 3.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Accident
The Storm Prediction Center has 21 hail reports within 10 miles of Accident since 1992, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on August 7, 2023, the most recent report. June and July have the most reports, 5 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Accident
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Confluence 1 SW Dam, PA, 12 miles north of Accident at 1,490 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. May and June are the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 47.2 inches over 102 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (23.9 of 47.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 148 nights a year. Snowfall averages 61.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.2 inches is more than at 27 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (66%). Grantsville, 8 miles east, has its own station (Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA): 41.8 inches a year, 5.4 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 19 | 3.6 | 9 | 18.3 |
| Feb | 41 | 20 | 3.4 | 8 | 16.9 |
| Mar | 50 | 27 | 3.9 | 9 | 10.3 |
| Apr | 63 | 36 | 4.0 | 9 | 0.9 |
| May | 72 | 47 | 4.9 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 60 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 52 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 40 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 52 | 30 | 3.1 | 7 | 3.7 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 3.5 | 8 | 10.9 |
| Year | 62 | 39 | 47.2 | 102 | 61.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Confluence 1 SW Dam, PA (1,490 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Accident
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 119 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Accident: 88 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 floods, 7 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 19, 2025. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 7. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 6 have had fewer than Accident.
April 19, 2025: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Accident — 2 injured, $120,000 damage.
April 19, 2025: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Accident — $1.0 million damage.
April 19, 2025: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Accident — $500,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Garrett County, which includes Accident, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Garrett County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.8 million a year, the 24th highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (65%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Accident
- Friendsville, MD6 mi
- Grantsville, MD8 mi
- Swanton, MD12 mi
- Confluence, PA13 mi
- Salisbury, PA14 mi
- Bruceton Mills, WV15 mi
- Oakland, MD16 mi
- Terra Alta, WV17 mi
- Westernport, MD18 mi
- Albright, WV18 mi
- Farmington, PA19 mi
- Frostburg, MD20 mi
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