Hurricane Risk in Washington, DC
Risk Level: Very High — Score 7/10
Live Hurricane alert status near Washington
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Live hurricane map around Washington
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Key Risk Factors
- FEMA rates Washington's county as Relatively High risk
- Estimated annual loss of $29M from this hazard type
- 17 tropical cyclones on record near Washington since 1999, each storm counted once (track within 250 km at tropical-storm strength or stronger)
- Within the hurricane strike zone
Peak season: August-October
Last significant event: Hurricane Zeta (2020-10-24)
Highest Risk Cities for Hurricanes
How Washington Compares
Notable Hurricane Events Near Washington
DisasterAWARE's historical archive records 5 notable hurricane events near Washington, ranked below by impact. The most impactful: Hurricane Isaias (July 2020).
Hurricane Isaias
July 28, 2020 — WARNING
Centre passed 68 km from Washington at 59 kt (109 km/h); storm peak Category 1 · 148 km/h
Hurricane Ernesto
August 24, 2006 — WATCH
Centre passed 29 km from Washington at 40 kt (74 km/h); storm peak Category 1 · 120 km/h
Hurricane Zeta
October 24, 2020 — INFORMATION
Centre passed 82 km from Washington at 45 kt (83 km/h); storm peak Category 3 · 185 km/h
Hurricane Sandy
October 25, 2012 — INFORMATION
Centre passed 121 km from Washington at 53 kt (98 km/h); storm peak Category 3 · 185 km/h
Hurricane Hanna
September 7, 2008 — INFORMATION
Centre passed 95 km from Washington at 45 kt (83 km/h); storm peak Category 1 · 139 km/h
Hurricane Preparedness Tips
- 1.Know your evacuation zone and plan routes in advance
- 2.Install storm shutters or have plywood pre-cut for windows
- 3.Stock at least 3 days of water, food, and medications
- 4.Secure outdoor furniture and trim trees near structures
- 5.Review your insurance coverage for wind and flood damage
Related Pages
How this data is built
Washington, DC hurricane risk combines Historical Event Intelligence with authoritative hazard modeling from the Geospatial Intelligence Layers catalog. Live hurricane monitoring is available through the Event Intelligence API and the DisasterAWARE Platform.
The data behind this page
Every score and event here comes from DisasterAWARE's hazard database — available as downloadable historical datasets and a real-time API.
Monitor Hurricane Risk in Real Time
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