Hurricanes - Washington Area Hurricanes
The book Washington Weather -- documenting D.C.'s great hurricanes
Hurricane Isabel Photos - September 18-19, 2003
The Chesapeake/Potomac Hurricane of August 23, 1933 - Report
Hurricanes Directory - hurricanes related resources
Science Vertical Portal - Hurricanes
The path of the Potomac Hurricane of 1933.
Willow trees in East Potomac Park are buffeted by winds during the Hurricane of
August 23, 1933. In Washington, winds reached 50 mph and 6.18 inches of rain fell. Library of Congress
Speedboat concessions at Hains Point are flooded after the Hurricane of August 23, 1933.
The hurricane made landfall near Nags Head, North Carolina and produced 88-mph winds in Norfolk, Virginia. The storm tracked north, just west of Washington. The hurricane pushed a huge tidal surge up the Potomac River that flooded portions of Washington and Alexandria, Virginia under 10 feet of water. Library of Congress
Fighting the winds of Hurricane Hazel at East Potomac Park, October 15, 1954. Hurricane Hazel made landfall north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a category 4 storm with winds of 135 mph. The hurricane then moved quickly north, tracking through the western suburbs of Washington. Hazel produced National Airport’s all-time record wind gust of 98 mph.
D.C. Public Library
Hains Point under floodwaters from Tropical Storms Connie and Diane, August 20, 1955.
Tropical Storm Diane moved into Washington less than one week after Connie. At National Airport, 10.43 inches of rain fell from both storms. D.C. Public Library
Prince William County Supervisor, Vernon Dawson, surveys flood damage to the town of Occoquan, Virginia after flooding from Tropical Storm Agnes, June 1972. These buildings were destroyed by the floodwaters of the Occoquan River. Rainfall at Dulles Airport was 13.65 inches,
with some rain totals up to 16 inches in Fairfax County. D.C. Public Library
Visible satellite photo of Hurricane Floyd while it was a category 4 storm off of the coast of Florida, September 13, 1999. Hurricane Floyd made landfall in North Carolina and moved north over the Delmarva Peninsula. Areas of North Carolina received 20 inches of rain, which produced massive flooding. Tropical downpours deluged the Washington area, with up to a foot of rain in Annapolis, Maryland. NOAA Library
Orb View satellite image of Hurricane Isabel taken Tuesday, September 16.
Infrared GOES satellite image of Hurricane Isabel early Wednesday morning, September 17.
September 18, 2003: Hurricane Isabel lashes Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Mark Young/The Journal Newspapers