Allegany County, Maryland
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 24001 · population 68,096 · 422 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,294 records for Allegany County, Maryland from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 808 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (492 records). 820 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the January 19, 1996 flood ($18.8 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1972, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 1,294on 808 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 013 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $77Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Allegany County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 492 since 1996. 56% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The rank column places the county among Maryland's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 492 | 339 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.0M | 1 of 23 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 252 | 146 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 4 | $2.0M | 18 of 23 |
| Extreme cold | 128 | 89 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $276K | 2 of 23 |
| Floods | 117 | 65 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $56M | 12 of 23 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 87 | 67 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 23 |
| Hail | 86 | 37 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $78K | 13 of 23 |
| High wind and dust storms | 65 | 53 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 9 of 23 |
| Heat | 33 | 32 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 1 | – | 16 of 23 |
| Drought | 10 | 10 | 1997-1999 | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | 13 of 23 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 6 | 1969-2012 | 0 | 6 | $12M | 23 of 23 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2000-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 23 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 1999-2002 | 0 | 1 | $109K | 20 of 23 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 23 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Allegany County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Allegany County from 1969 to 2012, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 6 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 9 tornadoes whose track touched Allegany County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-02 19:02, as SPC files it | MeyersdaleCrossed MD, PA | F4 | 36.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Maryland.
Every tornado record filed for Allegany County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-01 | Piney Grove, Allegany County | EF1 1.1 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2011-04-28 | Green Range Station, Allegany County | EF0 0.55 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2011-04-28 | Town Creek, Allegany County | EF0 0.55 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2009-07-29 | Belle Grove, Allegany County | EF0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-07-29 | Oldtown, Allegany County | EF0 5.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-02 | Frostburg, Allegany County | F4 8 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 5 | $9.5M |
| 1998-06-02 | Cumberland, Allegany County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 1998-06-02 | Mt Savage Jct, Allegany County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 1995-05-18 | Washington Dc, Allegany County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 1969-07-05 | Allegany County | F2 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Allegany County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindCumberland, Allegany County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindOcean, Allegany County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBarton, Allegany County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindCumberland, Allegany County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindTriple Lakes, Allegany County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindPiney Grove, Allegany County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherAllegany County · forecast zone Extreme Western Allegany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherAllegany County · forecast zone Central And Eastern Allegany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherAllegany County · forecast zone Extreme Western Allegany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherAllegany County · forecast zone Extreme Western Allegany | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindAllegany County · forecast zone Central And Eastern Allegany | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillAllegany County · forecast zone Extreme Western Allegany | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-02 | TornadoFrostburg, Allegany County The combination of an upper-level disturbance, increasing atmospheric shear, and ample instability set the stage for a major severe weather episode across the north half of Maryland during the late afternoon and evening. The episode was highlighted by supercell thunderstorms which produced three tornadoes, numerous ... | F4 8 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 5 | $9.5M |
| 2025-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindMidlothian, Allegany County Allegany County 911 Call Center took over 100 calls for trees, wires, and poles down across the northern part of the county, particularly in Midlothian, Mount Savage, Barrelville, Corriganville, Little Orleans and Bellegrove. Four people were injured by a falling tree. Roof damage was reported to homes in Frostburg, ... | 65 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $500K |
| 2005-10-25 | Winter StormAllegany County · forecast zone Allegany According to cooperative observers and newspaper reports, between 6 to 8 inches of snow accumulated around Frostburg in Allegany County. The snow actually began falling Monday evening, October 24. Several car accidents were attributed to the snowstorm, and one woman was injured during an accident and was rushed to the ... | 0 | 1 | $378K | |
| 2000-06-25 | LightningLittle Orleans, Allegany County A 45 year old man was injured by lightning at a campground. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1999-07-04 | HeatAllegany County · forecast zone Allegany High 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. These conditions continued until a cold front swept ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1969-07-05 | TornadoAllegany County | F2 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-19 | FloodAllegany County · forecast zone Allegany | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 1996-09-06 | FloodAllegany County · forecast zone Allegany | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodAllegany County | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 1998-06-02 | TornadoFrostburg, Allegany County | F4 8 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 5 | $9.5M |
| 2000-09-11 | Flash FloodWest Portion, Allegany County | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2002-05-27 | Flash FloodCumberland, Allegany County | 0 | 0 | $820K | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindAllegany County · forecast zone Extreme Western Allegany | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $581K |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Allegany County | 0 | 0 | $517K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 5, 1969 (tornado, Allegany County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Allegany County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 23 | 132 | 217 | 120 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 48 | 81 | 85 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 32 | 70 | 24 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 26 | 45 | 38 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 16 | 58 z | 13 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 50 | 13 |
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds in the 2010s: 58 records against 16 in the decade before, 58 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Allegany County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
56% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 215 · Feb 156 · Mar 108 · Apr 65 · May 160 · Jun 103 · Jul 88 · Aug 105 · Sep 52 · Oct 55 · Nov 48 · Dec 139 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Allegany County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Allegany County: 10 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3634 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4491 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3430 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-03-04 | DR-4261 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-11-20 | DR-4091 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3349 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-08-27 | EM-3335 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-05-06 | DR-1910 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3251 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-09-19 | DR-1492 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 2003-03-14 | EM-3179 | Severe Storm | Snow |
| 1996-09-17 | DR-1139 | Hurricane | Severe Storms and Flooding Assoc With Tropical Storm Fran |
| 1996-01-23 | DR-1094 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-01-11 | DR-1081 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3100 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1986-09-10 | DR-773 | Flood | Severe Storm & Flooding |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-341 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Allegany County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 117 flood or flash flood records for Allegany County from 1996 to 2025, on 65 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Allegany County ranks 628th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Fran | 1996-09-06 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.4 million on 377 claims filed in Allegany County; the most in one year was 181 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 7 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1984: 7 · 1985: 6 · 1989: 9 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1993: 9 · 1995: 23 · 1996: 181 · 1998: 3 · 2000: 5 · 2002: 8 · 2004: 36 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 4 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 4 · 2014: 11 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 34 · 2026: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Allegany County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Allegany County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.0 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $66K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $803K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $11M | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $112K | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $766K | 1.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $359K | once in about 31 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $331K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $196K | 38 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Allegany County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MarylandEvery Maryland tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in MarylandThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Maryland recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Allegany CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Allegany County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis