A violent 1814 storm—likely including a tornado—ripped through Washington, damaging buildings, dousing fires, and helping drive British troops from the city during the War of 1812.
A catastrophic 1933 hurricane devastated the Mid-Atlantic, bringing extreme flooding, a massive storm surge up the Potomac, and widespread destruction that reshaped parts of the Chesapeake Bay coastline.
The powerful 1933 Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane slammed into Hampton Roads with near-100 mph winds and an 8-foot storm surge, devastating coastal Virginia before tracking north toward the D.C. region.
Repeated storms in 2018 dumped record rainfall with intense downpours, leading to flooding and marking one of the heaviest August rain events in years.
A torrential 1963 downpour set a rainfall record, triggering significant flooding, closing National Airport, and inundating homes and businesses across the region.
Remnants of Hurricane Camille in 1969 brought modest rain to D.C. but unleashed catastrophic flooding in Virginia, causing one of the deadliest natural disasters in the state’s history.
Heavy rain from Hurricane Diane in 1955 flooded rivers and roads, while in 2002 an intense heat wave pushed temperatures to a record 98 degrees during a prolonged stretch of 90s.
Blistering heat in 1988 and 1997 sent temperatures into the triple digits—peaking at 105—before explosive thunderstorms brought damaging winds, heavy rain, and rapid cooling.
Oppressive heat in 1997 sent temperatures to 102 degrees with a heat index of 111, kicking off a two-day stretch of extreme, record-setting conditions.
A brutal 1988 heat wave peaked at a record 103 degrees before a violent thunderstorm swept through, knocking out power to tens of thousands and turning the sky dark with intense lightning and torrential rain.
