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Hail history in District of Columbia

NOAA hail reports within 15 miles of the center of Washington since 2010: 37 hail days, largest 2.75 in.

Brick mid-rise apartments and older commercial blocks under heavy grey clouds
Hail days near Washington since 2010, the most in District of Columbia
37
Largest hail reported, near Washington
2.75 in
District of Columbia city tracked
1

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

District of Columbia cities by hail days

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

CityHail days since 2010Largest hail
Washington372.75 in

About this data

  • Each city counts reports within 15 miles of its center, not of any one property.
  • Reports come from trained spotters and the public, so they cluster near towns and roads.
  • No report does not mean no hail. Hail can fall where no one is there to report it.
  • This is not a damage or insurance assessment.

Storm risk in District of Columbia

For commercial and multifamily buildings in the District, damaging thunderstorm wind and flooding are the storm risks that matter most, followed by winter storms, hail, the remnants of tropical storms and, rarely, tornadoes. HSEMA calls flooding the District's greatest annual natural risk, and the Storm Prediction Center ranks the Sterling, Virginia radar area that covers the city 53rd of 141 US radar areas for how often severe weather is reported.5,2

How often storms hit the District

Storm hazards for buildings in the District2,6,1,7,4,5,3
HazardHow oftenWhat it means for buildings
Damaging thunderstorm windWind damage reports on 48 days a year on average within 124 nautical miles of the Sterling radar (1980 to 2006).Gusts drop large trees and power lines onto roofs, cars and parking, and can peel roof edges and membranes.
FloodingFEMA maps show flooding only along coastlines, major rivers such as the Potomac and Anacostia, and streams, but DOEE says stormwater flooding is the most persistent type for much of the District. A 1-year storm, 2.6 inches of rain in 24 hours, floods some areas about once a year.Water from overwhelmed sewers reaches basements, garages and ground-floor mechanical rooms far from any river.
HailHail on 37 days since 2010 within 15 miles of the center of Washington, with hail up to 2.75 inches. Around the Sterling radar, hail reports came on 24 days a year on average (1980 to 2006).Roof covers, skylights and rooftop HVAC condenser fins take the hits.
Winter stormsThe normal season brings 13.7 inches of snow at Reagan National (1991 to 2020), but some winters bring far more: 56.1 inches in 2009 to 2010.Heavy snow and drifts load flat roofs, and cold snaps freeze pipes and sprinkler lines.
Hurricanes and tropical stormsHSEMA rates the chance of a notable hurricane affecting the District as low to medium, about once every 6 years on average. Storms often arrive weakened, but their rain, wind and surge still do damage.Heavy rain, downed trees and tidal surge up the Potomac, which reached 5 feet above normal in Hurricane Fran in 1996.
TornadoesRare: five touched down inside the District from 1950 through summer 2021.A direct hit on one building is unlikely, but a tornado can unroof buildings and drop trees along its path.

The hail count is days with at least one hail report within 15 miles of the center of Washington since 2010, a circle that reaches into Maryland and Virginia, so it shows how often hail falls near the District, not on one building. The Storm Prediction Center figures cover a much larger circle, 124 nautical miles around the Sterling radar, and come from 1980 to 2006 reports.1,2

Rules owners in the District should know

  • FAIR plan: the District of Columbia Property Insurance Facility insures owners who can't get essential property insurance in the regular market, through a commercial fire program for building owners and tenants. DISB's examination report says its commercial fire policies extend to wind and hail, with a maximum of $1,500,000 per property, and that it covers no flood damage and offers no commercial liability.8,9
  • Flood elevations: under the Flood Hazard Rules published June 20, 2025 (20 DCMR Chapter 31), new construction, substantial improvement and other development in the 100-year and 500-year floodplains need a flood zone permit. The design flood elevation is the higher of the base flood elevation plus 2 feet or the 500-year flood elevation; critical facilities add 2 more feet, and new construction or substantial improvement in DOEE's Tidal Shoreline Buffer adds 3.4 feet.10,11
  • Substantial improvement: work that, added to all work in the five years before the permit application, costs 50 percent or more of a building's tax assessed value counts as substantial improvement, and so does any repair after damage of that size. DOEE says the whole building must then be elevated or protected by building-wide floodproofing; smaller work below the design flood elevation must use flood-resistant materials or raise utilities above it.11
  • Claim handling: D.C. Code 31-2231.17 bars insurers, as a general business practice, from refusing claims without a reasonable investigation, failing to affirm or deny coverage within a reasonable time after proof of loss, or failing to explain a denial promptly. The Commissioner may fine up to $1,000 for each violation of its subsection (a).12
  • Flood claims: DISB notes that an NFIP policyholder must file a proof of loss within 60 days of the date of loss.13

Before the next storm

  • Flood risk map: check each building on DOEE's DC Flood Risk Tool, which maps the stormwater flooding that FEMA maps leave out for both the 1-year and the 100-year storm.6
  • Flood policy timing: buy or change flood coverage well before storm season, because DISB says most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period.13
  • Trees and loose items: trim dead or overhanging branches and clear debris that could become projectiles, as DISB advises, because thunderstorm wind damage is reported on 48 days a year around the Sterling radar.14,2
  • Freeze plan: insulate pipes and meters and keep every area at 55°F or warmer, as DISB advises; in a vacant building without heat, shut off the water supply and drain the system.14

Sources

Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.

  1. 1. Cloudbreak: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center storm reports, as counted on the Cloudbreak hail history page for District of Columbia
  2. 2. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: LWX (Washington, Sterling VA) Severe Weather Climatology, 1980 to 2006
  3. 3. NWS Baltimore/Washington: PRESTO: August 2021 and Summer 2021
  4. 4. DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA): History of Hurricane Events
  5. 5. DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA): District Recovery Plan (September 2014)
  6. 6. DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE): Integrated Flood Model
  7. 7. NWS Baltimore/Washington: Washington DC Snowfall (Reagan National), seasonal totals and 1991 to 2020 normal
  8. 8. District of Columbia Property Insurance Facility (DCPIF): District of Columbia Property Insurance Facility
  9. 9. DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB): Report on Examination: District of Columbia Property Insurance Facility as of December 31, 2021 (adopted July 2023)
  10. 10. DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE): Title 20, Chapter 31: Flood Hazard Rules
  11. 11. DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE): Notice of Final Rulemaking: Flood Hazard Rules, 20 DCMR Chapter 31 (June 20, 2025)
  12. 12. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law Library: D.C. Code 31-2231.17, Unfair claim settlement practices
  13. 13. DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB): Business Commercial Flood Insurance Coverage FAQs
  14. 14. DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB): Take Steps to Prepare for a Storm

Storms in District of Columbia

Tornadoes are rare in DC. NWS counts 5 that touched down inside the District from 1950 through summer 2021.1

Notable storms

  1. June 19, 2025Thunderstorm gusts estimated at 65 knots (75 mph) blew down numerous large trees in Northwest DC, blocking roads and falling on houses, including along Q Street and Legation Street.2
  2. July 29, 2023A gust of 73 knots (84 mph) was measured near Georgetown as thousands of trees, wires and poles came down from the Palisades to DuPont Circle. Several apartment buildings lost roofs, including along Wisconsin Avenue, and homes in Wesley Heights had roof and siding damage. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $25 million in property damage in DC.3,4
  3. July 1, 2021An EF1 tornado with estimated winds of 90 mph crossed from Arlington, Virginia, into downtown DC and ended on the National Mall. Minutes later an EF0 tornado with 80 mph winds tracked from the H Street Corridor to Kingman Park. Both downed trees, and the EF1 also brought down power lines.5
  4. August 20, 2019Golf ball size hail, 1.75 inches across, fell in the Cleveland Park neighborhood, and hail up to 1.5 inches fell near the Capitol and the National Mall.6,7
  5. June 2, 2019Storms dropped hail up to 1.75 inches across, golf ball size, near Tenleytown, with other reports in the same area of 1.25-inch and 1.5-inch hail.8,9,10
  6. July 19, 2016Hail 1.75 inches across, golf ball size, fell about a mile east-southeast of the Capitol, and 1.5-inch hail fell about a mile north of the White House.11,12

Warnings and alerts

NWS Baltimore/Washington, based in Sterling, Virginia, issues forecasts and warnings for the District of Columbia.13 AlertDC, the District's official emergency notification system, sends severe weather alerts by text, email or the Everbridge app to people who sign up.14

Sources

  1. 1. NWS Analyze, Forecast and Support Office: PRESTO: August 2021 and Summer 2021
  2. 2. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Tenleytown, DC, June 19, 2025
  3. 3. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, Georgetown, DC, July 29, 2023
  4. 4. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Thunderstorm Wind, National Arboretum, DC, July 29, 2023
  5. 5. NWS Analyze, Forecast and Support Office: PRESTO: July 2021
  6. 6. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Tenleytown, DC, August 20, 2019
  7. 7. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, US Capitol, DC, August 20, 2019
  8. 8. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Tenleytown, DC, June 2, 2019
  9. 9. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Tenleytown, DC, June 2, 2019
  10. 10. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Tenleytown, DC, June 2, 2019
  11. 11. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, US Capitol, DC, July 19, 2016
  12. 12. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: Hail, Georgetown, DC, July 19, 2016
  13. 13. NWS Baltimore/Washington: NWS Sterling, VA - Virtual Tour
  14. 14. DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency: AlertDC

Hail history in other states