NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Whiteford, 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
29 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Whiteford, Maryland since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 85 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 27
- Tornadoes
- 85
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Whiteford
The strongest storm to pass near Whiteford was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 89 mph winds when its centre passed 17 miles away. The record near Whiteford begins with an unnamed storm in 1863; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 7 miles away. The 1870s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 29 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site, 85% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Whiteford. The highest rating among the 85 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 12 times; the most recent, on September 1, 2021, came within 19 miles. Of the 85, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 42 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on September 4, 2025. Of the 239 Maryland cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Whiteford. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1969, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 239 Maryland cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Whiteford.
Compare Whiteford's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Whiteford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 1 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 53 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | overhead | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 17 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Whiteford: 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 Whiteford
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s18
- 2000s14
- 1990s26
- 1980s4
- 1970s9
- 1960s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | EF2 | 19 mi | 5.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 18, 2004 | F2 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 2002 | F2 | 17 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 16 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1995 | F2 | 21 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 28, 1992 | F2 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 15, 1989 | F2 | 21 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 29, 1980 | F2 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1974 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 1961 | F2 | 21 mi | 22.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 19, 1959 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 85, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Whiteford
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Whiteford since 1969, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 24, 1985. The most recent report is from August 17, 2025. June has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Whiteford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Conowingo Dam, MD, 8 miles southeast of Whiteford at 40 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 25°F. September is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 48.2 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (26.5 of 48.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 29 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (10); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 5.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 37 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 106 nights a year. That 48.2 inches is more than at 36 of the 41 Maryland stations used on this site (88%). Fawn Grove, PA, 7 miles northwest, has its own station (Safe Harbor Dam, PA): 46.5 inches a year, 1.7 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 25 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Feb | 43 | 26 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Mar | 51 | 34 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Apr | 64 | 44 | 3.4 | 7 |
| May | 74 | 54 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 83 | 64 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Sep | 79 | 60 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Oct | 67 | 48 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Nov | 55 | 37 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 45 | 31 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 46 | 48.2 | 82 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Conowingo Dam, MD (40 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 Whiteford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 323 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Whiteford: 259 thunderstorm wind reports, 34 floods, 24 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on May 28, 2005. Of the 239 Maryland cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 83 have had fewer than Whiteford.
August 31, 2014: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Whiteford — 1 killed, 1 injured.
March 8, 2008: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Whiteford — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
November 2, 1999: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Whiteford — 1 injured, $20,000 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
Harford County, which includes Whiteford, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 6 snowstorms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Harford County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes and coastal flooding; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $51.4 million a year, the 7th highest of 24 Maryland counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $29.9 million (58%), 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.