Southwest Waterfront, DC Tornado History — 117 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Southwest Waterfront, DC had?
Southwest Waterfront has had 117 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 4 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Southwest Waterfront?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Southwest Waterfront was an EF0 on June 18, 2025.
When is tornado season in Southwest Waterfront?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Southwest Waterfront, 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 Southwest Waterfront
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 46 total, averaging 2.3 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 Southwest Waterfront
6 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Southwest Waterfront since 1950, across 3 events. 241 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 Southwest Waterfront
About Tornadoes in Southwest Waterfront
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.
Tornadoes are woven into the weather history of Southwest Waterfront, the riverside quarter of the District of Columbia along the Washington Channel, near where the Anacostia River meets the Potomac. Twisters near the neighborhood have tended to arrive with the spring severe-weather season of April and May, or with the humid storms of summer and early autumn.
Spring has delivered violent weather here. On April 28, 2002, an F4 tornado carved a 38-mile path as much as 650 yards wide through the region, killing three people and injuring 122. Nearly three decades earlier, on April 1, 1973, an F3 tracked 9.8 miles and injured 37 people, causing $27,500,000 in property damage.
Late summer and fall carry risks of their own. An F3 on September 5, 1979 ran 17.9 miles, killing one person and injuring six, and another F3 on September 24, 2001 traveled 17.5 miles, leaving two dead and 55 injured. More recently, an EF2 on September 1, 2021 tracked 11.43 miles through the area, and an EF1 on June 5, 2024 followed a 15.16-mile path, injuring five people and causing $5,000,000 in damage. An EF0 touched down on June 18, 2025 — smaller in scale, but a reminder that the capital's waterfront holds a real place on the Mid-Atlantic's tornado map.