PlainHazard

Maryland high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 24 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 1,292 high wind and dust records in Maryland from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 41 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the October 29, 2012 high wind: 2 deaths, 9 injuries and $34.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 15 records. Maryland ranks 34th of 52 states and territories by count and 5th of 51 per square mile.

High wind and dust storms in Maryland, 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
1,2921996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
41average
Deaths
640 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$62Mas filed
Busiest year
2006109 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 Maryland?

Maryland averages about 41 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 34th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2006 (109). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Maryland records 1330 high wind and dust records since 1996, 5th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  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.

Which counties in Maryland have the most high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, Talbot County leads Maryland: 113 days with a high wind record since 1996, 420.8 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Cecil County has the most wind records (114 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).

  1. Talbot County 420.8 (114)
  2. Kent County 397.2 (111)
  3. Caroline County 341.2 (109)
  4. Cecil County 329.2 (114)
  5. Queen Anne's County 298.7 (111)
  6. Howard County 155.4 (42)
  7. Calvert County 150.1 (32)
  8. Anne Arundel County 142.2 (59)
  9. Allegany County 125.5 (65)
  10. Washington County 102.7 (47)
  11. Montgomery County 99.4 (60)
  12. Carroll County 96.1 (43)

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 windy season in Maryland?

44% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in February and March. The busiest month is February (353 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 150 · Feb 353 · Mar 216 · Apr 121 · May 22 · Jun 15 · Jul 5 · Aug 1 · Sep 58 · Oct 94 · Nov 81 · Dec 176 (records).

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

What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Maryland?

Maryland: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2012-10-29 High WindAnne Arundel County · forecast zone Anne Arundel One storm episode: 15 records in 13 places; the totals are the episode's. Hurricane Sandy moved up the Atlantic coast and then turned Northwest and made landfall northeast of MD. Heavy rain and high winds over spread coastal regions and most of Maryland, eastern panhandle of West Virginia and Northern Virginia. Heavy rain caused flooding and river flooding. 52 kt wind 2 9 $35M
2018-03-02 High WindBaltimore County and Baltimore (city) · forecast zone Southern Baltimore One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A low pressure system moving eastward from the central United States on Thursday March 1st, intensified rapidly as it moved offshore Thursday night and early Friday, deepening to 974 mb by the evening of Friday March 2nd. Strong winds were present in the low levels of the atmosphere due to the strengthening pressure ... 50 kt wind 1 2 –
2015-03-15 Strong WindFrederick County · forecast zone Frederick The Herald Mail Media reported that a dead tree had fallen on a hiker due to gusty winds, resulting in his death. This occurred at the Ed Garvey Shelter, an Appalachian Trail shelter located near Brunswick, MD in Gathland State Park. The tree had been marked to be cut down. Winds in the general vicinity ranged from 35 ... 40 kt wind 1 0 –
2022-12-23 High WindFrederick County · forecast zone Frederick Local broadcast media relayed reports that a 55-year-old man died after a tree fell on his car near the intersection of Maryland 77 and Tower Road, near Thurmont, Maryland. The incident occurred at approximately 1200 local time. A peak gradient wind gust of 58 mph was measured by a trained spotter near Wolfsville at ... 50 kt wind 1 0 –
2003-11-13 Strong WindPrince George's County · forecast zone Prince Georges 43 kt wind 1 0 $112K

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.

The costliest high wind and dust records in Maryland

Maryland: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2012-10-29 High WindAnne Arundel County · forecast zone Anne Arundel One storm episode: 15 records in 13 places; the totals are the episode's. 52 kt wind 2 9 $35M
2006-09-01 High WindSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's 55 kt wind 0 0 $4.8M
2003-09-18 High WindMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. 50 kt wind 0 3 $3.1M
2005-11-22 Strong WindAnne Arundel County · forecast zone Anne Arundel One storm episode: 4 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. 45 kt wind 0 0 $2.0M
1999-09-16 Hurricane Floyd · High WindQueen Anne's County · forecast zone Queen Annes One named storm filed by several offices: 2 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. 0 0 $1.6M
2006-09-01 High WindWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches / X E Worcester One storm episode: 5 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. 43 kt wind 0 0 $1.5M
2012-10-29 Hurricane Sandy · Strong WindCecil County · forecast zone Cecil One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 41 kt wind 0 0 $900K
2006-01-14 High WindMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 50 kt wind 0 0 $878K

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 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.

High wind and dust storms: Maryland and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeMarylandUnited StatesMaryland's share
1996-9920414,0261.5%
2000s66037,2541.8%
2010s35441,7480.8%
2020-267436,3000.2%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in Maryland

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-02-07 High WindPrince George's County · forecast zone Prince Georges 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindCharles County · forecast zone Charles 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindAnne Arundel County · forecast zone Anne Arundel 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindSt. Mary's County · forecast zone St. Mary's 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindCalvert County · forecast zone Calvert 53 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindAllegany County · forecast zone Central And Eastern Allegany 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindMontgomery County · forecast zone Northwest Montgomery 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindMontgomery County · forecast zone Central And Southeast Montgomery 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindFrederick County · forecast zone Frederick 57 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindCarroll County · forecast zone Carroll 63 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindDorchester County · forecast zone Dorchester 60 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindWorcester County · forecast zone Maryland Beaches 54 kt wind 0 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.

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