Storm Records: Maryland
Every storm the National Weather Service has filed in Maryland: its floods, heat, cold, winter storms, hail, wind, lightning and tornadoes, year by year and county by county, each episode with its narrative.
The worst in Maryland on the map
The deadliest and costliest episodes on record here, colored by kind of event.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 25,037
- Deaths
- 241
- Injuries
- 1,668
- Damage
- $1.6 billion
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
Tap a year for every episode in it.
Deaths each year
By kind of event
| Kind of event | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8,467 | 19 | 162 | $142 million |
| Winter Weather | 2,822 | 9 | 29 | $104,000 |
| Flash Flood | 1,735 | 22 | 31 | $166 million |
| Hail | 1,580 | 0 | 1 | $2.0 million |
| Flood | 1,471 | 2 | 4 | $81 million |
| Winter Storm | 1,215 | 6 | 28 | $8.1 million |
| Dense Fog | 1,086 | 2 | 38 | |
| Heat | 1,010 | 111 | 520 | $10,000 |
| Strong Wind | 749 | 2 | 8 | $5.7 million |
| Heavy Rain | 744 | 4 | 35 | $28,000 |
| High Wind | 540 | 4 | 31 | $43 million |
| Frost/Freeze | 531 | 0 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| Drought | 450 | 0 | 0 | $100 million |
| Tornado | 438 | 9 | 327 | $383 million |
| Coastal Flood | 339 | 0 | 1 | $18 million |
| Heavy Snow | 338 | 0 | 0 | $564,000 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 325 | 0 | 0 | $118,000 |
| Lightning | 313 | 12 | 85 | $20 million |
| Excessive Heat | 282 | 19 | 2 | |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 153 | 1 | 0 | |
| Ice Storm | 118 | 0 | 10 | $8.8 million |
| Tropical Storm | 101 | 3 | 201 | $555 million |
| Blizzard | 61 | 2 | 150 | $160,000 |
| Funnel Cloud | 46 | 0 | 0 | |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 27 | 0 | 0 | $54 million |
| Wildfire | 20 | 0 | 3 | |
| Sleet | 19 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | 15 | 0 | 0 | $2.0 million |
| Astronomical Low Tide | 15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rip Current | 13 | 13 | 1 | |
| Waterspout | 5 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Freezing Fog | 4 | 1 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Dust Devil | 3 | 0 | 1 | $6,000 |
| High Surf | 2 | 0 | 0 | $30,000 |
The deadliest
- Heat in Maryland, July 2 to 4, 2002High pressure remained stationary off the Delmarva coastline during the 1st week of July. This resulted in a prolonged period of hot and humid weather across the Mid Atlantic region.
- Heat in Maryland, July 4 to 7, 1999High pressure sat off the Mid-Atlantic coast from the 4th through the 7th, acting like a heat pump drawing in extremely warm and humid air. Temperatures on the 4th through early on the 7th were oppressively hot, and extremely humid conditions added to the misery.
- Excessive Heat and Heat in Maryland, July 3, 2018An upper-level high along with surface high over the western Atlantic led to hot and humid conditions.
- Heat in Maryland, August 1 to 5, 2002High pressure off the Atlantic Coast pumped hot and humid air into the Mid-Atlantic region. This caused high temperatures to reach between 92 and 100 degrees August 1st through the 5th.
- Heat in Maryland, June 25 to 26, 2002Very warm and moist air was ushered into the region by south winds during the last week of June. On the 25th and 26th, temperatures in the mid 90s combined with dew points near 70 to create heat index values between 100 and 110 degrees.
- Heat in Maryland, August 1 to 3, 2006Excessive heat conditions occurred on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, August 1-3, across much of Maryland. Afternoon heat index values ranged between 105 to as high as 115 degrees.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Maryland, June 24 to 28, 2006A weak cold front settled over the forecast area from June 23 until June 27. Waves of low pressure rode northeast along the front. Flow in the atmosphere was parallel to the boundary, producing several rounds of training echoes.
- Heat in Maryland, July 16, 2018Upper-level high pressure nearby and surface high pressure to our south and east caused hot and humid conditions.
- Heat in Maryland, August 12 to 19, 2002High pressure sitting off the Atlantic coastline pumped hot and humid air into the region between August 12th and 19th. Temperatures soared well into the 90s during the afternoon each day and heat index values approached 100 degrees.
- Flash Flood in Maryland, November 19, 2003Creeks and roads were flooded.
- Heat in Maryland, July 18, 2013High pressure was located over much of the eastern United States and light southerly flow persisted all week which led to above normal temperatures and dew points in the mid 70s.
- Heat in Maryland, July 17, 2018A southerly flow caused hot and humid conditions.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Maryland, April 28, 2002A massive tornadic storm tore through Central Charles and Calvert Counties between 7 and 8 PM EDT on the 28th. The tornadoes it produced left a 64 mile path of destruction ranging from F1 to F4 damage.
- Heat in Maryland, August 6 to 10, 2001High pressure brought ample sunshine and warm southerly winds to the region between the 6th and 10th. Afternoon temperatures soared into the 90s and dew points in the 60s pushed heat indices to between 98 and 112 degrees.
- Heat in Maryland, July 28 to 29, 2002A large area of high pressure sat off the Mid-Atlantic coast during the last week of July. This caused a warm and moist south wind to blow into the region for several days, resulting in another heat wave.
- Heat in Maryland, July 22 to 23, 2002Another round of hot and humid weather occurred across Central and Southern Maryland on July 22nd and 23rd. Heat indexes rose to between 98 and 105 degrees both days. Three people died from heat related illnesses during this time.
- Heat in Maryland, August 22, 2002High temperatures rose into the mid 90s on the 22nd. With dew points in the lower to mid 70s, heat index values soared to near 105 degrees during the afternoon. Three people died as a result of the excessive heat.
- Heat in Maryland, July 18, 2006A hot and very humid airmass seeped into the Mid Atlantic on July 17 and July 18. The heat index value climbed to around 105 degrees both afternoons.
- Heat in Maryland, June 24, 2010A strong ridge of high pressure along with plenty of sunshine resulted in hot conditions. Temperatures hovered in the upper 90s to around 100 degrees during the afternoon and early evening hours of the 24th.
- Excessive Heat and Heat in Maryland, July 5, 2012Upper-level high provided plenty of subsidence while a southerly flow continued over the area due to surface high pressure off the coast. The subsidence and southerly flow caused hot and humid conditions.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Maryland, September 24, 2001Severe thunderstorms moved through Central Maryland during the early evening of the 24th. One thunderstorm produced a devastating F3 tornado which was on the ground for 17.5 miles from College Park in Prince George's County to just east of Columbia in Howard County.
- High Wind in Maryland, October 29, 2012Hurricane Sandy moved up the Atlantic coast and then turned Northwest and made landfall northeast of MD. Heavy rain and high winds over spread coastal regions and most of Maryland, eastern panhandle of West Virginia and Northern Virginia.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Maryland, July 30 to 31, 2016A boundary remained overhead on the 30th of July. Hot and humid conditions led to an unstable atmosphere. The instability along with the boundary caused a few severe thunderstorms to develop.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Maryland, November 2, 2018A dynamic low pressure system tracked through the Mid-Atlantic states on the evening of November 2nd.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Maryland, July 25, 2010A strong upper-level disturbance and its associated cold front moved into Maryland on the 25th. Hot and humid conditions ahead of the front led to high amounts of instability. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the cold front.
The costliest
- Tropical Storm in Maryland, September 18 to 19, 2003
- Tornadoes and Hail in Maryland, April 28, 2002
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Maryland, September 24, 2001
- Flooding in Maryland, January 19 to 22, 1996
- Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Maryland, September 18 to 19, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Maryland, May 15 to 17, 2018
- Drought in Maryland, July 1 to 31, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Maryland, August 7, 2023
- Tornadoes in Maryland, June 5, 2024
- Drought in Maryland, August 1 to 31, 1999
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Maryland, October 18, 1990
- High Wind in Maryland, October 29, 2012
- Damaging Winds in Maryland, July 29, 2023
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Maryland, July 30 to 31, 2016
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Maryland, May 27 to 28, 2018
- Drought in Maryland, November 1 to 30, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Maryland, November 1, 1994
- Flash Flooding and High Wind in Maryland, September 16 to 18, 1999
- Tropical Storm in Maryland, August 27 to 28, 2011
- Flooding in Maryland, September 6 to 10, 1996
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Maryland, May 8, 1984
- Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Maryland, September 16, 1999
- Flash Flood in Maryland, January 19, 1996
- Damaging Winds in Maryland, July 28, 2023
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Maryland, July 2, 2006
Counties
Every storm event filed in each county, including the zone-filed ones that covered it.
- Allegany County1,125
- Anne Arundel County1,461
- Baltimore County2,222
- Calvert County774
- Caroline County747
- Carroll County1,149
- Cecil County1,043
- Charles County1,022
- City of Baltimore722
- Dorchester County446
- Frederick County1,624
- Garrett County378
- Harford County1,251
- Howard County927
- Kent County817
- Montgomery County1,941
- Prince George's County1,352
- Queen Anne's County883
- Saint Mary's County1,060
- Somerset County293
- Talbot County814
- Washington County1,139
- Wicomico County436
- Worcester County499
Counties and zones as filed
The places filed most often, as the offices named them.
| County or zone | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | 1,611 | 11 | 29 | $53 million |
| Baltimore | 1,328 | 5 | 115 | $77 million |
| Frederick | 1,088 | 10 | 14 | $60 million |
| Prince George'S | 970 | 4 | 77 | $124 million |
| Anne Arundel | 955 | 7 | 56 | $24 million |
| Harford | 952 | 4 | 48 | $17 million |
| Charles | 694 | 2 | 124 | $129 million |
| Carroll | 689 | 3 | 35 | $62 million |
| Washington | 667 | 0 | 4 | $13 million |
| St. Mary'S | 657 | 0 | 14 | $14 million |
| Howard | 611 | 4 | 7 | $45 million |
| Cecil | 536 | 2 | 12 | $14 million |
| Frederick zone | 536 | 6 | 9 | $43 million |
| Cecil zone | 508 | 2 | 19 | $4.4 million |
| Anne Arundel zone | 506 | 9 | 68 | $12 million |
| Kent zone | 488 | 0 | 3 | $11 million |
| Queen Annes zone | 488 | 2 | 12 | $39 million |
| Talbot zone | 481 | 5 | 43 | $2.1 million |
| Caroline zone | 479 | 2 | 9 | $1.7 million |
| Washington zone | 472 | 0 | 4 | $39 million |
| Allegany | 468 | 0 | 11 | $18 million |
| Carroll zone | 460 | 2 | 2 | $6.9 million |
| Calvert | 453 | 3 | 5 | $15 million |
| Northern Baltimore zone | 442 | 2 | 1 | $162 million |
| Southern Baltimore zone | 403 | 76 | 258 | $263 million |
| St. Mary'S zone | 403 | 3 | 154 | $98 million |
| Queen Anne'S | 394 | 0 | 4 | $7.3 million |
| Prince Georges zone | 382 | 15 | 60 | $11 million |
| Garrett zone | 376 | 0 | 15 | $785,000 |
| Extreme Western Allegany zone | 365 | 0 | 0 | $492,000 |
| Garrett | 333 | 1 | 13 | $10 million |
| Talbot | 332 | 0 | 6 | $7.6 million |
| Kent | 329 | 0 | 10 | $2.8 million |
| Charles zone | 328 | 0 | 41 | $10 million |
| Calvert zone | 321 | 2 | 158 | $18 million |
| Wicomico | 303 | 1 | 3 | $1.8 million |
| Montgomery zone | 297 | 10 | 48 | $47 million |
| Central and Eastern Allegany zone | 286 | 0 | 0 | $475,000 |
| Worcester | 271 | 0 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| Baltimore City (C) | 270 | 9 | 27 | $9.2 million |
| Caroline | 268 | 1 | 4 | $10 million |
| Dorchester | 268 | 1 | 18 | $7.9 million |
| Harford zone | 247 | 3 | 57 | $20 million |
| Howard zone | 245 | 3 | 4 | $8.0 million |
| Dorchester zone | 178 | 1 | 0 | $7.7 million |
| Central and Southeast Montgomery zone | 170 | 1 | 5 | $101,000 |
| Allegany zone | 169 | 0 | 2 | $23 million |
| Somerset | 168 | 0 | 6 | $1.2 million |
| Northwest Howard zone | 168 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Northwest Montgomery zone | 160 | 0 | 0 | |
| Northwest Harford zone | 153 | 1 | 3 | |
| Central and Southeast Howard zone | 148 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Southeast Harford zone | 146 | 2 | 0 | |
| Wicomico zone | 133 | 0 | 0 | $10 million |
| Somerset zone | 125 | 0 | 0 | $11 million |
| Maryland Beaches zone | 94 | 11 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| Inland Worcester zone | 88 | 1 | 0 | $4.3 million |
| Southern Baltimore / Baltimore (C) zone | 49 | 13 | 50 | $406,000 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Western Garrett County Md zone | 27 | 0 | 0 | |
| Inland Worcester / Except X E Worcester zone | 25 | 0 | 0 | $1.0 million |
| Eastern Garrett County Md zone | 23 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maryland Beaches / X E Worcester zone | 21 | 1 | 1 | $4.0 million |
| Talbot and Caroline | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Queen Anne`s zone | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Every year
- 2026
- 2025
- 2024
- 2023
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
- 2007
- 2006
- 2005
- 2004
- 2003
- 2002
- 2001
- 2000
- 1999
- 1998
- 1997
- 1996
- 1995
- 1994
- 1993
- 1992
- 1991
- 1990
- 1989
- 1988
- 1987
- 1986
- 1985
- 1984
- 1983
- 1982
- 1981
- 1980
- 1979
- 1978
- 1977
- 1976
- 1975
- 1974
- 1973
- 1972
- 1971
- 1970
- 1969
- 1968
- 1967
- 1966
- 1965
- 1964
- 1963
- 1962
- 1961
- 1960
- 1959
- 1958
- 1957
- 1956
- 1954
- 1953
- 1952
- 1950
More
Every tornado in MarylandEvery warning in Maryland since 1986River gauges in MarylandEvery state
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.