Maryland rip currents and high surf
Every recorded rip current or surf record since 1996 · 9 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 30 rip current and surf records in Maryland from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.3 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the September 17, 2014 rip current in Worcester County: 2 deaths across 2 records. Maryland ranks 19th of 34 states and territories by count and 11th of 34 per square mile.
Rip currents and high surf in Maryland, 1996 to 2026
Surf 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
- 301996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 3.3average
- Deaths
- 131 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $41Kas filed
- Busiest year
- 20086 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 rip current and surf records common in Maryland?
Maryland averages about 3.3 rip current and surf records a year since 2000, 19th of 34 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2008 (6). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Maryland records 31 rip current and surf records since 1996, 11th of 34 states and territories by that measure.
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.
Which counties in Maryland have the most rip current and surf records?
Per square mile, Worcester County leads Maryland: 12 days with a rip current or surf record since 1996, 25.6 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Worcester County has the most surf records (13 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the surf season in Maryland?
43% of its rip current and surf records since 1996 fell in January and February. The busiest month is February (8 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 5 · Feb 8 · Mar 1 · Apr 0 · May 2 · Jun 2 · Jul 3 · Aug 4 · Sep 3 · Oct 2 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest rip current and surf records in Maryland?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-09-17 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. Two men were caught up in rip currents and drowned in Ocean City. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-07-03 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches / X E Worcester Two swimmers were caught in rip current and one drowned, while the other was rescued. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2014-08-26 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches An 18-year-old male died after being overtaken by a rip current near the inlet in Ocean City. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-06-13 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches A 17-year-old man died when he was caught up in a rip current off 92nd Street. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-06-02 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches An 18-year-old man died after being caught up in a rip current. He was submerged for at least 20 minutes before lifeguards could locate him off 137th Street. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-08 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches Assateague State Park sent five lifeguards to the Offshore Vehicle (OSV) Maryland section of the Assateague Island National Seashore. The lifeguards responded to a cardiac arrest of a male, approximately 60 years old who was in the water. First Aid was attempted, but they were unable to save him. The man was believed ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-09-06 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches There was one rip current related fatality in Ocean City Maryland on September 6, 2023. The victim was a 68 year old male who later dies at the hospital. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-05-06 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches A man died while swimming at Ocean City due to a rip current. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-08-04 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches A 17 year old male drown from a rip current near 112th Street in Ocean City. Several others swimming in the group had to be rescued. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-07-16 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches Drowning of a 33 year old male from a rip current occurred in Ocean City. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
Are rip current and surf records becoming more frequent in Maryland?
Maryland'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.
| Decade | Maryland | United States | Maryland's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 0 | 1,021 | 0 |
| 2000s | 7 | 4,386 | 0.16% |
| 2010s | 14 | 5,810 | 0.24% |
| 2020-26 | 9 | 2,346 | 0.38% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent rip current and surf records in Maryland
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-29 | Astronomical Low TideSomerset County · forecast zone Somerset | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-18 | Astronomical Low TideWicomico County · forecast zone Wicomico | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-08 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-09-06 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-05-06 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-08-04 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-07-16 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-07-04 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Inland Worcester | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-05-23 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-09-17 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-09-17 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-08-26 | Rip CurrentWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches | 1 | 0 | – |
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.
Next
- Worcester County: the county's whole recordThe Maryland county with the most rip current and surf records per square mile
- Rip currents and high surf across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in MarylandTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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- Floods in Maryland3,545 records