NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chesapeake City, 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
36 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Chesapeake City, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 33
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Chesapeake City
The strongest storm to pass near Chesapeake City was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 89 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Chesapeake City begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 14 miles away. The 1870s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 36 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Chesapeake City has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The highest rating among the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 27, 1994, came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on September 5, 1979, killed 1 person. Of the 78, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on August 8, 2024. Of the 239 Maryland cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Chesapeake City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1977, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Chesapeake City.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Chesapeake City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | overhead | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 3 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 53 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 56 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 46 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Chesapeake City: 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 Chesapeake City
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s8
- 2000s8
- 1990s22(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s14
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 1994 | F3 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Apr 28, 1961 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 18 mi | 4.1 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF2 | 6 mi | 35.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 28, 2004 | F2 | 17 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 2002 | F2 | 12 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 1994 | F2 | 17 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 1993 | F2 | 5 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1989 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 17, 1988 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Chesapeake City
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Chesapeake City since 1977, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 10 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 24, 1985. The most recent report is from April 15, 2024. May has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Chesapeake City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Newark Ag Farm, DE, 11 miles northeast of Chesapeake City at 106 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 25°F. September is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 47.0 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (25.1 of 47.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 36 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (15); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 4.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 97 nights a year. That 47.0 inches is more than at 24 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (59%). Earleville, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Aberdeen Phillips Field, MD): 47.2 inches a year, 0.2 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 89°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Chesapeake City, MD, 2 miles east, averaged 84°F in July and 38°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Chesapeake City tide gauge, 2 miles from Chesapeake City, has risen 1.76 ± 0.12 inches per decade from 1972 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 17.6 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 111 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 25 | 3.4 | 6 | 38 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 2.9 | 5 | 39 |
| Mar | 54 | 33 | 4.3 | 8 | 46 |
| Apr | 67 | 42 | 3.7 | 7 | 57 |
| May | 76 | 52 | 3.6 | 8 | 67 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.0 | 6 | 76 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 4.8 | 7 | 84 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 4.0 | 6 | 82 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.9 | 6 | 76 |
| Oct | 69 | 46 | 4.0 | 5 | 65 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 3.4 | 6 | 53 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 4.0 | 7 | 42 |
| Year | 66 | 45 | 47.0 | 77 | 60 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Newark Ag Farm, DE (106 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Chesapeake City, MD, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Chesapeake City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 309 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Chesapeake City: 209 thunderstorm wind reports, 50 floods, 32 flash floods, 9 heavy rain events and 9 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $5.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on July 12, 2022. August has had the most flash floods, 13 of 32. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 105 have had fewer than Chesapeake City.
September 18, 2004: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Chesapeake City — 2 killed.
July 23, 2008: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Chesapeake City — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
December 9, 2009: flood 10 miles from the centre of Chesapeake City — 1 injured.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Chesapeake City's ZIP code 21915 have filed 27 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $206,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Isabel in 2003: 11 claims (41% of all) and $106,000. 44% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 150 Maryland cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 48 have fewer than Chesapeake City.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isabel2003 | 11 | $106,000 |
Cecil County, which includes Chesapeake City, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 6 snowstorms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cecil County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, coastal flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.2 million a year, the 13th highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.6 million (46%), 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 Chesapeake City
- Elkton, MD7 mi
- North East, MD8 mi
- Middletown, DE8 mi
- Bear, DE9 mi
- Earleville, MD9 mi
- Newark, DE11 mi
- Perryville, MD12 mi
- Galena, MD12 mi
- Townsend, DE13 mi
- Delaware City, DE14 mi
- Havre De Grace, MD15 mi
- Port Deposit, MD15 mi
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