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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit District Heights, MD

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

35 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of District Heights, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 112 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
32

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
112

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

6 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near District Heights

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of District Heights, Maryland, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2020ZetaOct 2947 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 3
2020IsaiasAug 435 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
2008HannaSep 653 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 210 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1996BerthaJul 1356 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1992DanielleSep 2661 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1963Unnamed 1963 stormJun 358 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1840 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 2
1955ConnieAug 1319 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 4
1954HazelOct 1535 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 4
1952AbleSep 137 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2953 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1819 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 242 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1943Unnamed 1943 stormOct 111 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1929 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1933Unnamed 1933 stormAug 2416 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 4
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 27 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 2045 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1269 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 422 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1570 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1266 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 113 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2315 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 1464 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2930 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1156 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1360 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2316 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 464 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 3
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1832 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2964 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2660 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1973 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in District Heights: 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 District Heights

By decade

  • 2020s12
  • 2010s22
  • 2000s22(2 EF3+)
  • 1990s31
  • 1980s2
  • 1970s15(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s4
  • 1950s4
Strongest tornadoes near District Heights, Maryland
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Apr 28, 2002F423 mi38 mi3 / 122
Sep 24, 2001F37 mi17.5 mi2 / 55
Sep 5, 1979F312 mi17.9 mi1 / 6
Apr 1, 1973F315 mi9.8 mi0 / 37
Sep 1, 2021EF216 mi11.43 mi0 / 0
Apr 28, 2002F223 mi3 mi0 / 0
Jun 24, 1996F218 mi20 mi0 / 1
Oct 5, 1995F24 mi2.5 mi0 / 3
Jul 27, 1994F225 mi7 mi0 / 0
Jul 27, 1994F223 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Oct 13, 1983F217 mi1 mi0 / 0
Jun 27, 1978F216 mi6.9 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 112, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of District Heights while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Maryland