NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rockville, VA
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
40 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rockville, Virginia since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 36
- Tornadoes
- 70
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Rockville
The strongest storm to pass near Rockville was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 97 mph winds when its centre passed 31 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 8 miles. The record near Rockville begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 55 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 40 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Rockville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 1, 1998, came within 11 miles. Of the 70, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 44 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on August 8, 2024. Rockville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 73% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Rockville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 50% of the 364 Virginia cities.
Compare Rockville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rockville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 8 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 61 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 29 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 31 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rockville: 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 Rockville
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s20
- 2000s18
- 1990s5(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1998 | F3 | 11 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1977 | F3 | 12 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2018 | EF2 | 16 mi | 7.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 8, 1962 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 1, 1998 | F2 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 29, 1984 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1969 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 13, 1951 | F2 | 17 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 2022 | EF1 | 11 mi | 21.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2022 | EF1 | 22 mi | 2.58 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rockville
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Rockville since 1960, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 27, 2017. The most recent report is from August 18, 2024. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rockville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Crozier, VA, 11 miles west of Rockville at 350 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 26°F. September is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 44.9 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (23.5 of 44.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 40 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (15); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 40 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 107 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 44.9 inches is more than at 41 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (38%). Montpelier, 6 miles north, has its own station (Ashland, VA): 45.3 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and the same July average high, 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 3.3 | 6 | 3.0 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 2.8 | 5 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 57 | 33 | 3.5 | 7 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 44.9 | 75 | 10.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Crozier, VA (350 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 Rockville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 245 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rockville: 177 thunderstorm wind reports, 33 heavy rain events, 31 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 25, 2012. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 256 have had fewer than Rockville.
July 22, 2001: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Rockville — 4 injured, $10,000 damage.
May 6, 2015: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Rockville — 2 injured.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Rockville — $420,000 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
Hanover County, which includes Rockville, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on March 11, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hanover County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.5 million a year, the 17th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.4 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.