Salisbury

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Wicomico County, the county that contains Salisbury.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

The drought index is for Wicomico County, the county that contains Salisbury.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Dec 23, 1998Ice Storm, Wicomico$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A major ice storm affected the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore from Wednesday, December 23rd into Friday, December 25th. A prolonged period of freezing rain and sleet resulted in ice accumulations of one quarter inch /0.25/ to three quarters inch /0.75/ in many locations. The heavy ice accumulations on trees and power lines caused numerous power outages across the region. Many accidents occurred due to slippery road conditions, especially bridges and overpasses. Many secondary roads were impassable due to fallen tree limbs and in a few cases, whole trees.

2. Sep 1, 2006High Wind, Wicomico$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The remnants of Ernesto along the Mid Atlantic coast combined with strong high pressure over New England produced very strong winds across the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore. Sustained winds in mph ranged from the lower 40s to near 50 with maximum gusts ranging from the mid 50s to as high as the mid 70s. Some higher sustained winds included 49 mph (43 knots) at Ocean City, and 45 mph (39 knots) at Salisbury. Some higher maximum gusts included 75 mph (65 knots) at Bishops Head, and 70 mph (61 knots) at Smith Island. The high winds caused numerous downed trees and power outages, along with significant structural damage.

3. Aug 7, 2017Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado initially touched down near Salisbury University along Highway 13 and Dogwood Drive damaging several businesses. The tornado struck a strip mall along Highway 13 tossing vehicles around in the parking lot, and causing minor damage to nearby buildings. A concrete building in the area collapsed due to bay doors on the building being open. Wind entered the structure causing it to collapse. It was in this area near the University where the tornado was most intense, at the time of initial |touchdown. The tornado tracked northeast across the east side of the Salisbury University campus, crossing Bateman Street and East College Drive before damaging a home on Rogers Street.…

4. Sep 18, 2003Tropical Storm, Wicomico$440,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Isabel was a Category 1 hurricane as it crossed the Wakefield WFO county warning area. Isabel produced tropical storm force sustained winds and wind gusts over the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore. Isabel made landfall near Ocracoke Inlet in North Carolina, tracked northwest into central Virginia just west of Richmond, then continued northward into western Pennsylvania. The highest sustained wind speed recorded was 45 mph at Cambridge Maryland in Dorchester county. Other sustained wind speeds were 41 mph at Ocean City (OXB), and 37 mph at Salisbury (SBY). The highest gusts recorded were 62 mph at Hurlock in Dorchester county, 60 mph at Ocean Pines in Worcester county, and 57…

5. Oct 29, 2012Coastal Flood, Wicomico$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Water levels reached 3.0 feet to 4.0 feet above normal adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay resulting in moderate to severe coastal flooding. The worst flooding occurred in downtown Salisbury due to the combination of storm surge and excessive rainfall runoff. A number of privately owned docks and bulkheads were also damaged or destroyed in the Nanticoke area.

6. Aug 4, 2020Tropical Storm, Wicomico$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical storm winds downed and uprooted several trees and power lines, produced significant structural damage, and caused power outages across the county. Wind gust of 53 knots (61 mph) was measured at SBY.

7. Aug 4, 2020Tornado$230,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A damage survey conducted by the NWS Wakefield office found a path of storm damage consistent with an EF2 tornado. The tornado touched down near Athol Road just south of Mardela Springs, causing some downed trees and damage to a roof. The tornado then moved across Main Street, causing a house to be shifted off its foundation. A shed was also totally destroyed. In addition, bark was stripped off of trees. The tornado then lifted just north of Route 50 where large garage doors were blown in.

8. Oct 28, 2021Coastal Flood, Wicomico$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Strong low pressure tracked from the Middle Mississippi Valley east northeast toward the Northeast United States from Thursday, October 28th into Saturday, October 30th. This system produced very strong east southeast winds, then strong south to southwest winds through the period. This caused moderate to major (tidal) coastal flooding across portions of Wicomico county adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay.

9. Aug 27, 2011Tropical Storm, Wicomico$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical storm force winds knocked down several trees and power lines, as well as caused some substantial property damage. In addition, heavy rains contributed to significant crop damage. The highest sustained wind of 40 knots (46 mph) with a peak gust of 53 knots (61 mph) was recorded at SBY (Salisbury-Wicomico Airport). Storm total rainfall generally ranged from six to ten inches.

10. Sep 5, 2012Lightning$75,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning caused three house fires in a short period of time in the Salisbury city limits.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

103°FJul 23, 2011

All-time low

−8°FJan 18, 1957

Warmest night

83°FJul 20, 2013

Coldest day

8°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

8.01 inSep 1, 2002

Snowiest day

11.7 inFeb 2, 1996

Hottest year

2012mean 60.4°F

Coldest year

1958mean 54.0°F

Wettest year

197969.63 in

Driest year

200733.51 in

Snowiest season

51.8 in1995-96

Station Salisbury-wicomico Regional Airport (USW00093720), 47 ft elevation, 4.6 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 27, 2026; 99.9% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Wicomico County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00093720.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.