NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Emmitsburg, 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
23 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Emmitsburg, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 90 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 20
- Tornadoes
- 90
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Emmitsburg
The strongest storm to pass near Emmitsburg was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Emmitsburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 24 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 23 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Emmitsburg has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The highest rating among the 90 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 19, 1996, came within 23 miles. Of the 90, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on June 5, 2024. Of the 239 Maryland cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Emmitsburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 20 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Emmitsburg.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Emmitsburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | overhead | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 34 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 29 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Emmitsburg: 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 Emmitsburg
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s14
- 2000s15
- 1990s25(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4(2 EF3+)
- 1970s11
- 1960s5
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | F3 | 23 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 22, 1983 | F3 | 4 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1980 | F3 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F3 | 20 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 2, 2018 | EF2 | 23 mi | 5.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 24 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 2001 | F2 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1994 | F2 | 17 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 8, 1990 | F2 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 23, 1979 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1978 | F2 | 17 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 1978 | F2 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 90, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Emmitsburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 20 hail reports within 10 miles of Emmitsburg since 1962, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 10, 2000. The most recent report is from March 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Emmitsburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Emmitsburg 2 SE, MD, 3 miles southeast of Emmitsburg at 403 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 22°F. September is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 46.8 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 46.8 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 23 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal October there has highs of 66°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 114 nights a year. Snowfall averages 27.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 46.8 inches is more than at 23 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (56%). Thurmont, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Catoctin Mountain Park, MD): 48.6 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 3.5 | 7 | 8.7 |
| Feb | 43 | 23 | 2.6 | 6 | 8.8 |
| Mar | 52 | 30 | 4.2 | 8 | 4.4 |
| Apr | 64 | 40 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.2 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 55 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 3.8 | 7 | 4.5 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 46.8 | 85 | 27.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Emmitsburg 2 SE, MD (403 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 Emmitsburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 265 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Emmitsburg: 152 thunderstorm wind reports, 98 floods and 15 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 22, 2019. September has had the most flash floods, 14 of 15. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 43 have had fewer than Emmitsburg.
July 10, 2001: thunderstorm wind in Emmitsburg — 3 injured.
NWS: “A 69 MPH wind gust was reported. Three workers were injured when a barn under construction collapsed.”
April 19, 2025: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Emmitsburg — $500,000 damage.
November 29, 2005: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Emmitsburg — $200,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Emmitsburg's ZIP code 21727 have filed 15 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $53,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 150 Maryland cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 17 have fewer than Emmitsburg.
Frederick County, which includes Emmitsburg, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 5 floods, 5 snowstorms, 4 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Frederick County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $49.9 million a year, the 8th highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $32.2 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 Emmitsburg
- Fairfield, PA5 mi
- Thurmont, MD8 mi
- Keymar, MD8 mi
- Taneytown, MD8 mi
- Gettysburg, PA11 mi
- Woodsboro, MD11 mi
- Littlestown, PA12 mi
- Union Bridge, MD12 mi
- Orrtanna, PA13 mi
- Smithsburg, MD13 mi
- Waynesboro, PA14 mi
- Walkersville, MD15 mi
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