St. Mary's County, Maryland
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 24037 · population 113,699 · 359 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,060 records for St. Mary's County, Maryland from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 664 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (345 records). The deadliest single record is the July 20, 1998 heat, filed for the forecast zone St. Mary's, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1977, 16 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
- 1,060on 664 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 3168 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $176Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 34strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 St. Mary's County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 345 since 1963. 61% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 345 | 184 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 9 | $7.9M | 11 of 23 |
| Floods | 240 | 136 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 2 of 23 |
| Winter storms | 104 | 103 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 17 of 23 |
| Hail | 80 | 52 | 1962-2025 | 0 | 0 | $23K | 4 of 23 |
| Heat | 80 | 80 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 of 23 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 53 | 51 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 23 |
| Tornadoes | 34 | 28 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 4 | $11M | 2 of 23 |
| High wind and dust storms | 33 | 32 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $7.1M | 14 of 23 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 30 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 14 of 23 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 23 | 1997-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 23 |
| Lightning | 16 | 10 | 1996-2008 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 11 of 23 |
| Drought | 12 | 12 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 8 of 23 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 7 | 1996-2020 | 1 | 154 | $144M | 7 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 St. Mary's County had?
NOAA records 34 tornadoes in St. Mary's County from 1967 to 2025, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd of 23 Maryland counties and 118th of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 34 tornadoes whose track touched St. Mary's County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 34, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Maryland.
Every tornado record filed for St. Mary's County (34)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-01 | Abells Wharf, St. Mary's County | EF1 0.98 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2022-06-08 | Forest Hall, St. Mary's County | EF0 3.01 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2022-05-27 | Oaks, St. Mary's County | EF1 2.82 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2020-08-04 | Tall Timbers, St. Mary's County | EF0 5.24 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-04 | Scotland, St. Mary's County | EF0 1.47 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-02-24 | White Pt Beach, St. Mary's County | EF0 6.55 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-27 | Mills Pt Shrs, St. Mary's County | EF1 12.22 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2014-02-21 | Compton, St. Mary's County | EF0 18 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2013-06-13 | Sotterley, St. Mary's County | EF0 1.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2013-06-13 | Oakley, St. Mary's County | EF0 13.83 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2013-06-10 | Colton, St. Mary's County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2012-07-15 | Colton, St. Mary's County | EF0 0.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-09-07 | Chingville, St. Mary's County | EF0 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-08-25 | Lnrdtwn St Marys Arp, St. Mary's County | EF0 3.41 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2011-08-25 | Patuxent River, St. Mary's County | EF0 0.05 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-28 | Abells Wharf, St. Mary's County | EF1 3.37 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2006-06-27 | Chaptico, St. Mary's County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2004-07-14 | California, St. Mary's County | F1 3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2003-05-07 | Oakville, St. Mary's County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2003-05-07 | Thompson Corner, St. Mary's County | F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2001-05-22 | St Inigoes, St. Mary's County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2000-07-31 | Hollywood, St. Mary's County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1996-07-13 | California, St. Mary's County | F1 1.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $188K |
| 1995-11-11 | Patuxent River, St. Mary's County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1995-11-11 | Hollywood, St. Mary's County | F0 0.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $145K |
| 1995-10-27 | Patuxent, St. Mary's County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-10-05 | White Point Beach, St. Mary's County | F1 0.75 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1995-08-06 | Naval Air Station, St. Mary's County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-27 | St. Mary's County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 1984-05-08 | St. Mary's County | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1984-05-08 | St. Mary's County | F1 3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1983-10-13 | St. Mary's County | F2 3 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-09-05 | St. Mary's County | F1 17.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-01-27 | St. Mary's County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 St. Mary's County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMechanicsville, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindLeonardtown, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindCalifornia, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindDrumcliff, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindGolden Beach, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindHunterville, St. Mary's County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindAvenue, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindOaks, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-01 | Thunderstorm WindLnrdtwn St Marys Arp, St. Mary's County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindLeonardtown, St. Mary's County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-07-20 | HeatSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's After an unusually pleasant start to the month, a singular heat wave affected much of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay during the climatological peak of highest annual temperatures. The heat wave, caused by the combination of hot and humid air associated with "Bermuda" high pressure and increasingly dry ground, ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-08-04 | Tropical StormSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's Tropical Storm Force winds observed at Patuxent River Naval Air Station ASOS (KNHK) with sustained winds of 40 mph at 8:04 AM EST, and a peak wind gust of 58 mph at 9:12 AM EST. Also observed at St. Indigoes MD ASOS (KNUI) with sustained winds of 30 mph at 7:53 AM EST, and a peak wind gust of 52 mph at 8:35 AM EST. ... | 1 | 0 | $855K | |
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall on the North Carolina Coast. Its huge wind field was already piling water up into the southern Chesapeake Bay. By the time Isabel moved into central Virginia, it had weakened and was downgraded to a tropical storm. Isabel's eye tracked well west of the bay, but the ... | 0 | 154 | $138M | |
| 1994-08-17 | Thunderstorm WindCompton, St. Mary's County Thunderstom winds destroyed a two story house under construction in Compton. It tossed a 500-600 pound utility trailer a couple hundred yards and tossed some lumber around. | 0 | 5 | – | |
| 1987-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindSt. Mary's County | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1984-05-08 | TornadoSt. Mary's County | F1 3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 2009-07-19 | Dust DevilValley Lee, St. Mary's County Patio furniture was damaged and a woman was injured in Valley Lee due to a dust devil. | 0 | 1 | $1K | |
| 2001-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindClements, St. Mary's County Trees were downed. On downed tree significantly damaged a mobile home and injured someone inside. | 0 | 1 | $67K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 0 | 154 | $138M | |
| 2011-08-27 | Tropical StormSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2006-09-01 | High WindSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2006-06-27 | TornadoChaptico, St. Mary's County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2020-08-04 | Tropical StormSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 1 | 0 | $855K | |
| 1998-02-04 | Coastal FloodSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's | 0 | 0 | $453K | |
| 2008-06-04 | LightningPark Hall, St. Mary's County | 0 | 0 | $343K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 8, 1984 (tornado, St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 73 | 128 | 99 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 17 | 120 | 96 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 24 | 54 | 16 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 22 | 19 | 16 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 8 | 17 | 34 | 21 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 1 | 15 | 27 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
61% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 67 · Feb 82 · Mar 58 · Apr 68 · May 72 · Jun 178 · Jul 221 · Aug 109 · Sep 70 · Oct 54 · Nov 37 · Dec 44 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for St. Mary's County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include St. Mary's County: 12 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (8) and snowstorm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3634 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2021-02-04 | DR-4583 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaias |
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4491 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3430 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2012-11-20 | DR-4091 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3349 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-08-02 | DR-4075 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2011-09-16 | DR-4034 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 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 |
| 2000-04-10 | DR-1324 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1999-09-24 | DR-1303 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1996-01-11 | DR-1081 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1016 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Weather and Ice Storms |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3100 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1977-01-26 | DR-524 | Snowstorm | Ice Conditions |
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 St. Mary's County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 240 flood or flash flood records for St. Mary's County from 1996 to 2024, on 136 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), St. Mary's County ranks 445th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-27 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $11.2 million on 613 claims filed in St. Mary's County; the most in one year was 265 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 4 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 18 · 1988: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 31 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 7 · 1999: 11 · 2003: 265 · 2004: 2 · 2006: 121 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 7 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 12 · 2011: 24 · 2012: 8 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 27 · 2021: 27 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 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 St. Mary's County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates St. Mary's County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $6.4M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 3.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 4.7 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.4M | 6.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $143K | 6.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $490K | 38 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $167K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with St. Mary's 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MarylandThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 St. Mary's CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download St. Mary's County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis