List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C.
Wikimedia list article
Although it is a relatively small geographical area and tornadoes are a relatively rare phenomenon in the Mid-Atlantic region, tornadoes are not unknown in Washington, D.C. The District has been hit by at least ten of these damaging storms since modern recordkeeping began in 1950.
The surrounding states of Virginia and Maryland average 10 and 6 tornadoes per year, respectively, which is 0.23 and 0.48 tornadoes per 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) per year. In the same time period (1953–2004), Washington experienced only two tornadoes. However, this works out to around 0.56 tornadoes per 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) per year, which is not statistically higher than average for the surrounding area. The climatological peak for tornado occurrences in the area is in July; however, most Washington tornadoes have struck in May, while some have formed as early as April and as late as November.
One tornado of particular historical significance is the 1814 storm. Although there is some debate as to whether this storm was a true tornado, it likely killed some British soldiers, heavy rains helped extinguish the fires set by the British, and the losses suffered contributed to their withdrawal from the city. More recent tornadoes have damaged several national landmarks, including the National Mall, the National Arboretum, the United States Botanic Garden, and the Smithsonian Institution. Another tornado occurred just two weeks after the September 11 attacks in 2001, crossing the National Mall and narrowly missing the Pentagon.
The 1814 storm
On August 25, 1814: A "most tremendous hurricane" struck the city during the Burning of Washington during the War of 1812.
The public source identifies “List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C.” as wikimedia list article. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around List, tornadoes and Washington.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C.”, the useful work is to connect “wikimedia list article” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6603781. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1950, 1953, 2004 and 1814.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C.”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C. primary sources, List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C. archive and List research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C.”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C.” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.