Washington, D.C. Tornado August 25, 1814

30 fatalities

A "most tremendous hurricane" struck the city during the Burning of Washington during the War of 1812. There are few historical accounts of this event, and many sources disagree on the details. Some sources question whether this event was a tornado or a hurricane. However, most agree that it was a true tornado, and some maintain that it was a tornado followed closely by a hurricane.

Whatever its nature, the storm tore the roofs from many buildings. Several cannons were thrown through the air by the violent winds. Thirty British soldiers and some residents were buried in the rubble, and several died. Damage to trees also occurred "higher in the country." The British Army left Washington soon after the storm, and heavy rains which accompanied the storm helped extinguish the fires. At least thirty people died.
September 16, 1888: Around 3:15 pm, an F2 tornado touched down between 9th Street NW and 10th Street NW, and it tracked for 2 miles (3.2 km) along Maryland Avenue. It unroofed two homes, damaged the Botanic Garden, and damaged the roof of the Smithsonian Institution.There were no injuries or deaths.

April 5, 1923: At around 3 p.m., an F3 tornado touched down in the northern Rock Creek Park, moving northeast into Maryland. The tornado tracked for 11 miles (18 km). Twenty people were injured,seven homes were destroyed, and twelve other homes were damaged.There were no deaths.

May 14, 1927: An F0 tornado produced minor damage near North Capitol Street and Rhode Island Avenue at 6:00 p.m. The funnel was a landspout, not associated with a severe thunderstorm, as no wind was reported outside of the damage area. A few trees were uprooted or damaged, with structural damage being limited to roof shingles and awnings, as well as a few tombstones knocked over. No one was injured, and there was only minor damage.

November 17, 1927: At 2:25 p.m., an F2 tornado touched down southwest of Alexandria, Virginia. After damaging Alexandria, the tornado crossed the Potomac River and injured several people at the Anacostia Naval Air Station.

The tornado crossed the Anacostia River and continued through the Navy Yard. From there, the tornado continued northward up Eighth Street Southeast and then turned a bit to travel north on Fourteenth Street near Lincoln Park. The tornado continued through the neighborhood of Kingman Park where it demolished several homes.
The tornado also damaged several Maryland suburbs, including Hyattsville, Bladensburg, Benning, and Colmar Manor. The tornado traveled about 15 miles (24 km) in all, including about 3 miles (4.8 km) in the District of Columbia. One person died from being struck by lightning while crossing a bridge; 49 other people were injured and 150 homes were either damaged or destroyed in the District. Dozens of families were made homeless from the tornado.
The speed of the tornado's winds were estimated to be 125 miles per hour (201 km/h). Saint Cyprian Roman Catholic Church, located near Lincoln Park, sustained serious damage. An airplane hangar at Anacostia Naval Air Station was demolished along with the seven airplanes inside it. The tornado also tore the roof off of barracks at Anacostia Naval Air Station.Property losses were estimated to be $1,000,000.