NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fort Washington, 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
34 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Fort Washington, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 110 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 31
- Tornadoes
- 110
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Fort Washington
The strongest storm to pass near Fort Washington was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Fort Washington begins with an unnamed storm in 1872; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 42 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 34 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Fort Washington has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The strongest of the 110 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 28, 2002; its path came within 16 miles, and it killed 3 people. Of the 110, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on July 5, 2022. Fort Washington has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 239 Maryland cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 112 times since 1956, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Fort Washington has more hail reports within 10 miles than 86% of the 239 Maryland cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fort Washington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 31 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 59 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 11 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Fort Washington: 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 Fort Washington
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s26
- 2000s26(2 EF3+)
- 1990s29
- 1980s2
- 1970s14(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2002 | F4 | 16 mi | 38 mi | 3 / 122 |
| Sep 24, 2001 | F3 | 12 mi | 17.5 mi | 2 / 55 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F3 | 5 mi | 17.9 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Jan 26, 1978 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.7 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 1, 1973 | F3 | 12 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | EF2 | 22 mi | 11.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 24 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 25 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 16 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1996 | F2 | 13 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 5, 1995 | F2 | 5 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 27, 1994 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 110, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fort Washington
The Storm Prediction Center has 112 hail reports within 10 miles of Fort Washington since 1956, made on 70 separate days. Of these, 73 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 9, 1980. The most recent report is from April 15, 2024. May has the most reports, 43.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fort Washington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Oxon Hill, MD, 3 miles north of Fort Washington at 190 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 27°F. July is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 47.1 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 47.1 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 34 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal October there has highs of 68°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. That 47.1 inches is more than at 25 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (61%). Alexandria, VA, 6 miles west, has its own station (Washington Reagan Airport, VA): 41.8 inches a year, 5.3 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Washington, DC, 8 miles north, averaged 84°F in July and 39°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Washington tide gauge, 8 miles from Fort Washington, has risen 1.40 ± 0.05 inches per decade from 1924 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 14.0 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 84 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 27 | 3.1 | 6 | 39 |
| Feb | 48 | 28 | 2.9 | 6 | 41 |
| Mar | 56 | 35 | 4.0 | 7 | 50 |
| Apr | 67 | 45 | 3.4 | 7 | 60 |
| May | 76 | 55 | 4.5 | 9 | 69 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 4.9 | 8 | 77 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 5.0 | 7 | 84 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 7 | 82 |
| Sep | 80 | 61 | 4.4 | 6 | 76 |
| Oct | 68 | 48 | 3.8 | 6 | 66 |
| Nov | 57 | 39 | 3.1 | 5 | 54 |
| Dec | 48 | 31 | 3.8 | 7 | 42 |
| Year | 67 | 47 | 47.1 | 81 | 62 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Oxon Hill, MD (190 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Washington, DC, 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 Fort Washington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 678 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fort Washington: 488 thunderstorm wind reports, 102 flash floods, 83 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 5 people and injured 17, and the NWS estimated $19.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 13, 2000. August has had the most flash floods, 33 of 102. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 178 have had fewer than Fort Washington.
August 3, 2002: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Fort Washington — 1 killed, 2 injured, $30,000 damage.
May 16, 2025: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Fort Washington — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Hundreds of trees and branches blew down on George Washington Memorial Parkway near Morningside Lane, blocking the roadway for three days. One tree fell onto a vehicle, killing the occupant.”
May 16, 2025: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Fort Washington — 1 killed, $25,000 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 Fort Washington's ZIP code 20744 have filed 103 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 12. 16% 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, 113 have fewer than Fort Washington.
Prince George's County, which includes Fort Washington, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 5 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 Prince George's County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and hail; Relatively Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $121.8 million a year, the 4th highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $65.1 million (54%), 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 Fort Washington
- Oxon Hill, MD4 mi
- Clinton, MD5 mi
- Temple Hills, MD5 mi
- Accokeek, MD6 mi
- Alexandria, VA6 mi
- Suitland, MD7 mi
- Jb Andrews, MD7 mi
- Cheltenham, MD9 mi
- District Heights, MD9 mi
- Bryans Road, MD10 mi
- Fort Belvoir, VA10 mi
- Capitol Heights, MD10 mi
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