NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Frederick, 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
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Frederick, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 103 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 103
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Frederick
The strongest storm to pass near Frederick was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Frederick begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 44 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 24 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Frederick has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The highest rating among the 103 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 19, 1996, came within 24 miles. Of the 103, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 57 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on June 5, 2024. Frederick has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 66% of the 239 Maryland cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 57 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Frederick.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Frederick
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | overhead | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 31 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 61 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 | 24 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 13 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 Frederick: 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 Frederick
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s20
- 2000s19
- 1990s24(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s7
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | F3 | 24 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 22, 1983 | F3 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 2, 2018 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 7 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 16 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 1989 | F2 | 21 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 31, 1978 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 103, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Frederick
The Storm Prediction Center has 57 hail reports within 10 miles of Frederick since 1963, made on 44 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 15, 2018. The most recent report is from March 16, 2025. June has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Frederick
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Frederick Police Brks, MD, in Frederick at 380 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 27°F. September is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 43.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (22.9 of 43.8 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 24 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal October there has highs of 69°F and 3.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 36 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 84 nights a year. That 43.8 inches is more than at 11 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (27%). Ijamsville, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Damascus 3 SSW, MD): 48.0 inches a year, 4.2 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 27 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Feb | 48 | 29 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Mar | 55 | 36 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 3.6 | 7 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Sep | 80 | 59 | 5.8 | 7 |
| Oct | 69 | 47 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Nov | 56 | 38 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Dec | 47 | 31 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Year | 67 | 47 | 43.8 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Frederick Police Brks, MD (380 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 Frederick
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 435 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Frederick: 307 thunderstorm wind reports, 86 floods, 38 flash floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $46.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 83 mph, on June 15, 2000. September has had the most flash floods, 11 of 38. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 124 have had fewer than Frederick.
August 11, 2021: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Frederick — 1 killed, $300,000 damage.
July 12, 2003: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Frederick — 2 injured.
May 15, 2018: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Frederick — $43.2 million damage.
NWS: “Significant flash flooding occurred during the evening of May 15th from the city of Frederick southwestward toward Braddock Heights and Jefferson. The amount of damage shown here is total damage not already accounted for in other reports.”
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 Frederick's 4 ZIP codes have filed 108 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $619,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2018, with 35. 14% 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, 115 have fewer than Frederick.
Frederick County, which includes Frederick, 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 Frederick
- Walkersville, MD6 mi
- New Market, MD7 mi
- Middletown, MD7 mi
- Jefferson, MD8 mi
- Adamstown, MD8 mi
- Ijamsville, MD8 mi
- Monrovia, MD10 mi
- Myersville, MD11 mi
- Woodsboro, MD11 mi
- Point Of Rocks, MD11 mi
- Clarksburg, MD13 mi
- Brunswick, MD13 mi
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