Washington, DC Tornado History — 113 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Washington, DC had?
Washington has had 113 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 4 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Washington?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Washington was an EF0 on June 18, 2025.
When is tornado season in Washington?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Washington, with 18 on record. April through June account for 50 of the 113 tornadoes on record near Washington.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Washington
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 47 total, averaging 2.4 per year over this window.
What storm spotters reported near Washington
2 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Washington and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on June 18, 2025 and the most recent on June 19, 2025. They are already counted in the Washington totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
NWS Storm Survey confirmed an EF-0 tornado briefly touched down in Odenton... MD at approximately 440 pm... with peak winds estimated at 80mph. Path length was 0.1 mile (LWX)
Corrected for time/date. NWS Storm Survey confirmed an EF-0 tornado briefly touched down in Odenton... MD at approximately 215 pm... with peak winds estimated at 80mph. (LWX)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
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 Washington
6 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Washington since 1950, across 3 events. 243 injuries have been reported across all events. 2002 was the deadliest year on record near Washington.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on April 28, 2002, which caused 3 fatalities along a 38.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Washington
What the record shows near Washington
The 1990s were the busiest decade near Washington, with 29 of the 113 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 14 so far. The Washington record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Washington, 98 reached EF0 or EF1 and 14 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Washington is rated EF4, of which 1 is logged. A further 1 near Washington is unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Washington has averaged 2.4 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 47 in total. 2011 was the busiest of them with 8, and 5 of those years passed with none at all.