NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Poolesville, 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
26 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Poolesville, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 109 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 23
- Tornadoes
- 109
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Poolesville
The strongest storm to pass near Poolesville was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 92 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near Poolesville begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 73 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 26 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Poolesville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The highest rating among the 109 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on September 5, 1979, came within 12 miles. Of the 109, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 62 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on August 8, 2024. Poolesville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 75% of the 239 Maryland cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 116 times since 1961, with stones up to 5 inches. Poolesville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 239 Maryland cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Poolesville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 4 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 34 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 14 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Poolesville: 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 Poolesville
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s24
- 2000s24
- 1990s22
- 1980s6
- 1970s8(2 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 1979 | F3 | 12 mi | 17.9 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Apr 1, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Nov 2, 2018 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 20 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | in town | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 25 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1996 | F2 | 20 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 16, 1989 | F2 | 22 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 13, 1983 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 1981 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F2 | 15 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 109, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Poolesville
The Storm Prediction Center has 116 hail reports within 10 miles of Poolesville since 1961, made on 74 separate days. Of these, 71 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5 inches, fell on July 2, 1968. The most recent report is from August 29, 2024. June has the most reports, 42.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Poolesville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is WFO Sterling, VA, 11 miles south of Poolesville at 288 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 45.1 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (23.7 of 45.1 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 26 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal October there has highs of 68°F and 4.0 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 119 nights a year. That 45.1 inches is more than at 16 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (39%). Dickerson, 6 miles north, has its own station (Damascus 3 SSW, MD): 48.0 inches a year, 2.9 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 25 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 45 | 26 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Mar | 54 | 33 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 66 | 43 | 3.5 | 7 |
| May | 74 | 53 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 83 | 63 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 87 | 67 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 68 | 45 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 46 | 29 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Year | 66 | 45 | 45.1 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at WFO Sterling, VA (288 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 Poolesville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 485 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Poolesville: 355 thunderstorm wind reports, 81 floods, 43 flash floods and 6 lightning strikes. They killed 4 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $6.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on July 25, 2010. July has had the most flash floods, 10 of 43. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 134 have had fewer than Poolesville.
June 23, 2015: thunderstorm wind in Poolesville — 1 killed, $3,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees were reported down around town. Poolesville was without power for an extended period of time.”
July 25, 2010: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Poolesville — 1 killed.
July 3, 2011: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Poolesville — 1 killed.
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
Montgomery County, which includes Poolesville, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Montgomery County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and tornadoes; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $126.4 million a year, the 3rd highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $71.0 million (56%), 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 Poolesville
- Dickerson, MD6 mi
- Boyds, MD6 mi
- Sterling, VA7 mi
- Ashburn, VA7 mi
- Leesburg, VA8 mi
- Germantown, MD8 mi
- Broadlands, VA10 mi
- Great Falls, VA10 mi
- Gaithersburg, MD11 mi
- Clarksburg, MD11 mi
- Montgomery Village, MD12 mi
- Point Of Rocks, MD12 mi
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