Pleasant Plains, DC Tornado History — 114 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Pleasant Plains, DC had?
Pleasant Plains has had 114 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Pleasant Plains?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Pleasant Plains was an EF0 on June 18, 2025.
When is tornado season in Pleasant Plains?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Pleasant Plains, with 19 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 Pleasant Plains
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 51 total, averaging 2.5 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 Pleasant Plains
3 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Pleasant Plains since 1950, across 2 events. 121 injuries have been reported across all events. 2001 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on September 24, 2001, which caused 2 fatalities along a 17.5-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Pleasant Plains
About Tornadoes in Pleasant Plains
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.
Pleasant Plains sits among the rowhouse blocks of Northwest Washington near Howard University, and the neighborhood shares in a tornado history that stretches across the District and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs. On April 1, 1973, an F3 tornado carved a 9.8-mile path about 100 yards wide through the area, injuring 37 people and causing $27,500,000 in property damage.
Late summer and early fall have brought some of the area's most serious storms. On September 5, 1979, an F3 tracked 17.9 miles with a width of 300 yards, killing one person and injuring six. On September 24, 2001, another F3 followed a 17.5-mile path, killing two people and injuring 55. Two decades later, on September 1, 2021, an EF2 cut an 11.43-mile track through the region.
Alongside those destructive storms, many of the area's tornadoes have been brief EF0 and EF1 touchdowns concentrated in the spring and summer months, when instability builds over the mid-Atlantic. Recent seasons have kept residents alert: on June 5, 2024, an EF1 ran a 15.16-mile path roughly 150 yards wide, injuring five people and causing $5,000,000 in damage, and an EF0 touched down as recently as June 18, 2025.