NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Westminster, 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 Westminster, Maryland since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Westminster
The strongest storm to pass near Westminster was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Westminster begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 59 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 24 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Westminster has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 14% of the 239 Maryland cities on this site. The highest rating among the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 19, 1996, came within 6 miles. Of the 91, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on June 5, 2024. Of the 239 Maryland cities, 50% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Westminster. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1969, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 65% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Westminster.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Westminster
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 19 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 52 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 11 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 37 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 Westminster: 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 Westminster
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s17
- 2000s12
- 1990s27(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2(2 EF3+)
- 1970s12
- 1960s5
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | F3 | 6 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 22, 1983 | F3 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1980 | F3 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F3 | 15 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 5, 2024 | EF2 | 9 mi | 4.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2024 | EF2 | 9 mi | 4.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 2, 2018 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 2001 | F2 | 10 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 59 |
| Jun 8, 1990 | F2 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 23, 1979 | F2 | in town | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1978 | F2 | 8 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Westminster
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Westminster since 1969, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 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, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Westminster
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hanover 4 SW, PA, 13 miles north of Westminster at 558 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. September is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 44.1 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (23.7 of 44.1 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 122 nights a year. Snowfall averages 28.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 44.1 inches is more than at 14 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (34%). New Windsor, 6 miles southwest, has its own station (Emmitsburg 2 SE, MD): 46.8 inches a year, 2.7 more than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 3.0 | 6 | 8.0 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.6 | 5 | 9.7 |
| Mar | 50 | 30 | 3.7 | 7 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 43 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.5 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Year | 63 | 42 | 44.1 | 78 | 28.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hanover 4 SW, PA (558 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 Westminster
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 302 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Westminster: 235 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 floods, 26 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $38.3 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, 8 of 26. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 87 have had fewer than Westminster.
July 22, 2019: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Westminster — 1 killed.
August 7, 2023: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Westminster — 2 injured, $20.0 million damage.
NWS: “Thousands of trees, branches and wires blew down near and north of Westminster. 30 utility poles snapped along MD-97/MD-140 Baltimore Boulevard near Gorsuch Road, with live wires trapping several people in their vehicles for a few hours; two people were injured.”
August 7, 2023: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Westminster — 1 injured, $250,000 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 Westminster's 2 ZIP codes have filed 23 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $188,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 22% 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, 40 have fewer than Westminster.
Carroll County, which includes Westminster, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 5 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Carroll County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.3 million a year, the 9th highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.7 million (55%), 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 Westminster
- New Windsor, MD6 mi
- Finksburg, MD7 mi
- Hampstead, MD9 mi
- Union Bridge, MD10 mi
- Upperco, MD10 mi
- Taneytown, MD11 mi
- Manchester, MD11 mi
- Littlestown, PA13 mi
- Reisterstown, MD13 mi
- Eldersburg, MD13 mi
- Keymar, MD14 mi
- Glenville, PA14 mi
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