District of Columbia natural disasters
The federal district's storm and disaster record · population 688,888 · one county equivalent
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 994 storm events in District of Columbia since 1950, 944 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 6 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events (344). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest event in District of Columbia is the July 4, 1999 heat in District of Columbia: 3 deaths and 140 injuries. FEMA has made 24 declarations for District of Columbia since 1989, 19 for natural hazards; 15 were major disasters.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm events recorded in District of Columbia 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 $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded
- 9941950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 17392 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $283Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes (SPC)
- 61950 to 2025
- FEMA declarations
- 2415 major disasters
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.
What natural disasters happen in District of Columbia?
By NOAA's records, District of Columbia's most frequent hazards are severe thunderstorm wind events (344), floods and flash floods (267), winter storm records (129); the deadliest are heat records (8 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.
| Hazard | Records | Last 10 years | Killed | Injured | Damage | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 344 | 139 | 3 | 43 | $33M | 1 of 1 |
| Floods | 267 | 153 | 0 | 2 | $45M | 1 of 1 |
| Winter storms | 129 | 36 | 1 | 0 | $97K | 1 of 1 |
| Heat | 70 | 21 | 8 | 317 | – | 1 of 1 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 7 | 0 | 13 | $809K | 1 of 1 |
| Hail | 38 | 13 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 1 of 1 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 33 | 13 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 1 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 9 | 2 | 0 | – | 1 of 1 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $6K | 1 of 1 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 1 of 1 |
| Lightning | 8 | 3 | 3 | 14 | $266K | 1 of 1 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $204M | 1 of 1 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | $221K | 1 of 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).
What were the deadliest disasters in District of Columbia?
The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-04 | HeatDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia High pressure sat off the Mid-Atlantic coast from the 4th through the 7th, acting like a heat pump drawing extremely warm and humid air into the region. 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 ... | 3 | 140 | – | |
| 2022-08-04 | LightningLincoln Memorial, District of Columbia Three people were killed and another suffered life-threatening injuries when they were struck by lightning in Lafayette Park across the street from The White House. A couple (76-year-old male, 75-year-old female) and an unrelated (29-year-old male) succumbed to their injuries from the lightning strike the next day. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-07-13 | HeatDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia The combination of antecedent dry weather, a persistent upper-level high pressure area, and the time of year produced a bona-fide heat wave in the District of Columbia during the middle of the month. Unlike events of previous years, the heat index was not quite as oppressive. Nonetheless, daytime high temperatures ... | 2 | 150 | – | |
| 2006-08-01 | HeatDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia Excessive heat conditions occurred on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, August 1-3, in Washington, DC. Afternoon heat index values ranged between 105 to as high as 115 degrees. Two people lost their lives in The District due to the excessive heat conditions during this heat wave. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-02-05 | Cold/Wind ChillDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia Two homeless men died after being exposed to near zero degree wind chills overnight. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-08-16 | HeatDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar during the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Record maximum temperatures were achieved on both days. On the 16th, the previous record of 95 degrees was shattered as the mercury soared to 102. On the 17th, a brief shot of ... | 1 | 25 | – | |
| 1993-05-12 | Thunderstorm WindDistrict of Columbia A strong cold front approaching the mid-Atlantic region including the District of Columbia, produced violent thunderstorm winds and damaging lightning. The north part of the district was hardest hit. One woman was killed and another woman and a man were injured when the car they were in was smashed by a tree uprooted ... | 1 | 11 | $102K | |
| 2002-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindBrookland, District of Columbia One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. A thunderstorm with hail and high winds moved through the District of Columbia during the afternoon of the 19th. Winds gusted as high as 70 MPH and at least 82 trees were downed across the city. Most of the damage was reported in the northern sections of town. Trees fell onto power lines, 10 cars, 4 homes, and several ... | 61 kt wind | 1 | 3 | $820K |
| 2002-08-03 | Thunderstorm WindSoutheast Portion, District of Columbia A man was killed and two women were injured when a tree fell onto a car. Other trees were also downed nearby. | 1 | 2 | $49K | |
| 2011-01-26 | Winter StormDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia Snowfall was estimated to average around five inches across the District of Columbia. A fatality occurred when a tree fell onto a truck near Oregon Avenue. The tree fell due to the weight of the snow. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest records in District of Columbia
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-09-18 | Tropical StormDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $201M | |
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindGeorgetown, District of Columbia | 73 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $19M |
| 1996-01-20 | FloodDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2006-06-25 | Flash FloodCountywide, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2001-08-11 | Flash FloodCountywide, District of Columbia | 0 | 2 | $10M | |
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindNational Arboretum, District of Columbia | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 2011-08-27 | Tropical StormDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2000-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.
Which counties in District of Columbia have the most records?
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).
Every county in District of Columbia
Federal disaster declarations in District of Columbia
FEMA has made 24 declarations for District of Columbia since 1989: 15 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. The most common incident types are severe storm (9), hurricane (6), other (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-20 | EM-3643 | Other | Sewer Line Collapse | 1 |
| 2021-01-11 | EM-3553 | Other | 59th Presidential Inauguration | 1 |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4502 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | 1 |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3447 | Biological | Covid-19 | 1 |
| 2016-03-04 | DR-4260 | Snowstorm | Snowstorm | 1 |
| 2012-12-05 | DR-4096 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | 1 |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3352 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | 1 |
| 2012-07-31 | DR-4073 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms | 1 |
| 2011-11-08 | DR-4044 | Earthquake | Earthquake | 1 |
| 2011-09-28 | DR-4036 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | 1 |
| 2011-08-28 | EM-3337 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene | 1 |
| 2010-03-24 | DR-1890 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms | 1 |
| 2010-03-03 | DR-1882 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | 1 |
| 2009-01-13 | EM-3300 | Other | 56th Presidential Inauguration | 1 |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3226 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | 1 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Flood insurance claims in District of Columbia
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.5 million on 501 claims in 1 District of Columbia county. Claims count insured losses only.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk across District of Columbia's counties
How FEMA's National Risk Index rates District of Columbia's counties overall: a model of expected future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of events.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Next
- Floods in District of ColumbiaEvery recorded flood in District of Columbia: by year, month and county
- Winter storms in District of ColumbiaEvery recorded winter storm record in District of Columbia: by year, month and county
- Hail in District of ColumbiaEvery recorded hail report in District of Columbia: by year, month and county
- Compare District of Columbia with another stateSide by side: storm records per square mile, deaths per million, declarations
- How District of Columbia ranks among the statesStates ranked by FEMA disaster declarations
- Look up a District of Columbia county's hazard riskFEMA's rating for each hazard beside the county's record
- Download District of Columbia's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration in the state, for your own analysis