Downtown DC, DC Tornado History — 115 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Downtown DC, DC had?
Downtown DC has had 115 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 4 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Downtown DC?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Downtown DC was an EF0 on June 18, 2025.
When is tornado season in Downtown DC?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Downtown DC, with 18 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Downtown DC
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 48 total, averaging 2.4 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Downtown DC
6 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Downtown DC since 1950, across 3 events. 243 injuries have been reported across all events. 2002 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on April 28, 2002, which caused 3 fatalities along a 38.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Downtown DC
About Tornadoes in Downtown DC
This overview was written July 29, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Washington's downtown core sits in a corridor where severe thunderstorms riding out of the Virginia Piedmont and up the Potomac have repeatedly produced tornadoes, and the District's history includes genuinely dangerous ones. On April 28, 2002, an F4 carved a 38-mile path as wide as 650 yards across the region, killing 3 people and injuring 122. It struck just months after September 24, 2001, when an F3 tracked 17.5 miles, killing 2 and injuring 55. A generation earlier, an F3 on April 1, 1973 injured 37 people along a 9.8-mile path and did $27,500,000 in property damage, and an F3 on September 5, 1979 killed 1 and injured 6 on a 17.9-mile track.
Recent years have kept the threat current. An EF2 on September 1, 2021 ran 11.43 miles through the area, and on June 5, 2024 an EF1 traveled 15.16 miles, injuring 5 and causing $5,000,000 in damage. As recently as June 18, 2025, an EF0 touched down nearby. Activity around the capital clusters in the warm season — spring rounds in April and May, summer storms from June into August, and September and October touchdowns that stretch the threat into early fall.