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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Reisterstown, 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 Reisterstown, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 104 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
23

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
104

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

4 deaths in all

What the records show for Reisterstown

The strongest storm to pass near Reisterstown was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Reisterstown begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 69 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 26 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Reisterstown has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The highest rating among the 104 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on September 24, 2001, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on November 2, 2018, killed 2 people. Of the 104, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 57 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Reisterstown has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 69% of the 239 Maryland cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 54 times since 1966, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 53% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Reisterstown.

Compare Reisterstown's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Reisterstown

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Reisterstown, Maryland, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 269 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
2020IsaiasAug 447 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
2012SandyOct 3035 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 3
2006ErnestoSep 26 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
1992DanielleSep 2650 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1979DavidSep 661 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 5
1955DianeAug 1810 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1955ConnieAug 13overheadTropical storm (56 mph)Category 4
1954HazelOct 1530 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 4
1952AbleSep 111 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2935 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 375 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1943Unnamed 1943 stormOct 11 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 199 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1933Unnamed 1933 stormAug 2416 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 4
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 217 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 2058 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 5
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 46 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 129 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2318 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 1463 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 293 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2168 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 3
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1353 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 232 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 2
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1845 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 3

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

By decade

  • 2020s19
  • 2010s26
  • 2000s12(1 EF3+)
  • 1990s29(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s12
  • 1960s4(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s2(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Reisterstown, Maryland
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Sep 24, 2001F317 mi17.5 mi2 / 55
Jul 19, 1996F37 mi2.2 mi0 / 3
Jun 9, 1961F321 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Apr 5, 1952F324 mi17.5 mi0 / 4
Jun 5, 2024EF25 mi4.42 mi0 / 0
Jun 5, 2024EF25 mi4.42 mi0 / 0
Nov 2, 2018EF216 mi5.45 mi0 / 0
Sep 24, 2001F220 mi5 mi0 / 0
Oct 18, 1990F2in town0.1 mi0 / 59
Jun 8, 1990F225 mi1 mi0 / 1
Sep 5, 1979F221 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
May 23, 1979F212 mi2 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 104, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Reisterstown

The Storm Prediction Center has 54 hail reports within 10 miles of Reisterstown since 1966, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 16, 2025. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. June has the most reports, 16.

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

Radar-estimated hail days in Reisterstown since 2019 →

Weather by month in Reisterstown

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD, 17 miles southeast of Reisterstown at 20 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 30°F. July is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 44.0 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (23.5 of 44.0 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 26 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal August there has highs of 87°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 52 nights a year. That 44.0 inches is more than at 12 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (29%). Finksburg, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Millers 4 NE, MD): 47.8 inches a year, 3.8 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 90°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Baltimore, MD, 19 miles southeast, averaged 83°F in July and 40°F in February over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Baltimore tide gauge, 19 miles from Reisterstown, has risen 1.30 ± 0.02 inches per decade from 1902 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 13.0 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 77 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Water °F
Jan44303.1641
Feb47322.8640
Mar55393.9746
Apr67483.6656
May76583.4766
Jun85683.4675
Jul90734.7783
Aug87714.4681
Sep80654.5577
Oct69533.5568
Nov58433.0557
Dec48353.7745
Year675144.07261

Averages for 1991–2020 at Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD (20 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Baltimore, 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 Reisterstown

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 356 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Reisterstown: 263 thunderstorm wind reports, 57 flash floods, 32 floods, 3 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $6.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on July 22, 2019. July has had the most flash floods, 17 of 57. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 151 have had fewer than Reisterstown.

  • July 22, 2019: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Reisterstown — 1 killed.

  • August 8, 2018: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Reisterstown — 1 injured.

  • July 28, 2023: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Reisterstown — $2.0 million damage.

    NWS: “Hundreds of trees blew down around Reisterstown, including many onto houses and cars.”

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 Reisterstown's ZIP code 21136 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $35,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 10% 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, 0 have fewer than Reisterstown.

Baltimore County, which includes Reisterstown, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 6 snowstorms, 5 floods, 4 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Baltimore County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $157.1 million a year, the highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $67.3 million (43%), 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 Reisterstown