PlainHazard

District of Columbia high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 1 county with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 43 high wind and dust records in District of Columbia from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 2.1 a year since 2000. The costliest was the January 14, 2006 high wind ($366,000 in 2025 dollars). District of Columbia ranks 52nd of 52 states and territories by count.

High wind and dust storms in District of Columbia, 1996 to 2026

Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • 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
Records
431996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
2.1average
Deaths
013 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$809Kas filed
Busiest year
20005 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are high wind and dust records common in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia averages about 2.1 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 52nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2000 (5).

  1. 1. Rhode Island 7061
  2. 2. New Jersey 4882
  3. 3. Massachusetts 4776
  4. 4. Delaware 3705
  5. 5. Maryland 1330
  6. 6. Connecticut 1301
  7. 7. Vermont 1178
  8. 8. Hawaii 1067
  9. 9. New York 1028
  10. 10. Wyoming 900

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

When is the windy season in District of Columbia?

49% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in February and March. The busiest month is February (15 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 4 · Feb 15 · Mar 6 · Apr 3 · May 1 · Jun 2 · Jul 0 · Aug 0 · Sep 2 · Oct 5 · Nov 2 · Dec 3 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

The costliest high wind and dust records in District of Columbia

District of Columbia: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2006-01-14 High WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 55 kt wind 0 0 $366K
2001-03-21 Strong WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 0 3 $67K
2003-11-13 Strong WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 43 kt wind 0 2 $8K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

High wind and dust storms: District of Columbia and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeDistrict of ColumbiaUnited StatesDistrict of Columbia's share
1996-99814,0260.06%
2000s2437,2540.06%
2010s841,7480.02%
2020-26336,3000.01%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in District of Columbia

The 9 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-02-07 High WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-02-16 High WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2018-03-02 High WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 57 kt wind 0 1 –
2006-01-14 High WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 55 kt wind 0 0 $366K
2005-11-16 Strong WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 35 kt wind 0 1 –
2003-11-13 Strong WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 43 kt wind 0 2 $8K
2003-06-01 Strong WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 43 kt wind 0 4 –
2001-03-21 Strong WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 0 3 $67K
2000-04-05 Strong WindDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia 0 2 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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