Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit North Beach, 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

47 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of North Beach, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 85 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
44

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
85

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

3 deaths in all

What the records show for North Beach

The strongest storm to pass near North Beach was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 35 miles away. The record near North Beach begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The 1870s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 47 systems, 6 have come since 2000. North Beach has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The strongest of the 85 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 28, 2002; its path came within 16 miles, and it killed 3 people. Of the 85, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on July 31, 2025. Of the 239 Maryland cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than North Beach. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1998, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than North Beach.

Compare North Beach's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near North Beach

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of North Beach, Maryland, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021ElsaJul 956 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
2020ZetaOct 2931 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 3
2020IsaiasAug 414 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 871 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 632 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 29 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1996BerthaJul 1335 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1992DanielleSep 2645 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1971DoriaAug 2867 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
1963Unnamed 1963 stormJun 310 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1472 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1960BrendaJul 3059 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1859 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 2
1955ConnieAug 133 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 4
1954HazelOct 1556 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 4
1952AbleSep 158 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2974 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 182 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2174 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 223 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1943Unnamed 1943 stormOct 16 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1945 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1933Unnamed 1933 stormAug 2334 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 4
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 215 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 2062 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1252 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3071 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1774 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 442 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1549 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1251 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1661 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 18 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 239 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2950 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1135 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 268 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2366 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1166 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2335 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 443 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 3
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1848 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2942 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2639 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1953 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2764 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1771 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1

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

By decade

  • 2020s8
  • 2010s16
  • 2000s19(2 EF3+)
  • 1990s24
  • 1980s3
  • 1970s10
  • 1960s3
  • 1950s2
Strongest tornadoes near North Beach, Maryland
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Apr 28, 2002F416 mi38 mi3 / 122
Apr 28, 2002F324 mi18 mi0 / 0
Sep 1, 2021EF210 mi11.43 mi0 / 0
Jul 23, 2017EF220 mi2.37 mi0 / 1
Oct 5, 1995F224 mi2.5 mi0 / 3
Jul 27, 1994F222 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Oct 13, 1983F219 mi4 mi0 / 0
Jun 27, 1978F26 mi6.9 mi0 / 0
Sep 12, 1971F220 mi3 mi0 / 0
Jul 5, 2022EF121 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
May 27, 2022EF116 mi4.14 mi0 / 0
Aug 4, 2020EF15 mi3.01 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 85, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in North Beach

The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of North Beach since 1998, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 16, 2022. The most recent report is from June 30, 2024. May has the most reports, 11.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in North Beach

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Upper Marlboro 3 NNW, MD, 16 miles northwest of North Beach at 130 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 25°F. September is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 45.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (24.4 of 45.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 47 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 32 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 15.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 45.1 inches is more than at 16 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (39%). Chesapeake Beach, 3 miles south, has its own station (Mechanicsville 5 NE, MD): 48.1 inches a year, 3.0 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 88°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Annapolis, MD, 19 miles north, averaged 85°F in July and 42°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Annapolis tide gauge, 19 miles from North Beach, has risen 1.52 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1928 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 15.2 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 92 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Upper Marlboro 3 NNW, MD
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow inWater °F
Jan44253.065.742
Feb47262.756.342
Mar55333.971.750
Apr67443.470.059
May75544.170.068
Jun84634.270.078
Jul88674.260.085
Aug86654.160.084
Sep80584.560.078
Oct69464.150.069
Nov58363.350.058
Dec48293.672.247
Year674545.17415.963

Averages for 1991–2020 at Upper Marlboro 3 NNW, MD (130 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Annapolis, 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.

Maryland weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near North Beach

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 255 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of North Beach: 223 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 floods, 11 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $953,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 31, 2008. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 11. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 22 have had fewer than North Beach.

  • August 1, 2011: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of North Beach — 2 injured, $100,000 damage.

  • May 27, 2022: thunderstorm wind in North Beach — $150,000 damage.

    NWS: “The National Weather Service (NWS) surveyed storm damage in portions of Calvert and Anne Arundel Counties in Maryland arising from Friday afternoon's storms on May 27, 2022.”

  • August 17, 1997: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of North Beach — $100,000 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 North Beach's ZIP code 20714 have filed 131 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1983, and were paid $2.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Isabel in 2003: 59 claims (45% of all) and $2.4 million, then Hurricane Fran in 1996 with 27. 67% 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, 119 have fewer than North Beach.

Flood insurance claims in North Beach by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Hurricane Isabel200359$2.4 million
Hurricane Fran199627$120,000

Calvert County, which includes North Beach, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 6 snowstorms, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Isaias, on February 4, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Calvert County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Low for coastal flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.0 million a year, the 17th highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.7 million (36%), 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 North Beach