Tornadoes happening in multiple states: More than a dozen tornadoes have been reported in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. The following are two aerial views of the F4 damage through the heart of La Plata. The strongest tornado is … The strongest recorded tornado to hit Maryland was an F4 (winds of 207 to 260 mph) in Charles and Calvert counties, with ground zero in LaPlata on April 28, 2002. In eastern West Virginia, the storm produced hail; it first became tornadic near Quicksburg, VA. Tornado warnings were issued for Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties, where a F2 tornado occurred. - The state tornado number assigned to the tornado for that specific state for that specific year. The tornado, rated EF4 at its strongest point with winds exceeding 165 mph, was the strongest to hit St. Louis County or City since January 1967.The tornado moved through many suburbs and neighborhoods, damaging and destroying many homes and businesses. Atmosphere CECIL COUNTY, MD (WBFF) - Monday's weather took a dangerous turn this afternoon as the strong wind and rain lead to tornado warnings. Public Info Statement For the state specific records of multi-state tornadoes, the exit or lift-off point from the state in decimal degrees. Weather Calculator, Contact Us 1995 – Hurricane Opal, numerous tornadoes in Maryland, winds 150 mph 1996 – Tropical Storm Bertha, winds 63 mph in Ocean City, tornado in Dorchester, 5 inches of rain The tornadoes on this list have been formally rated F5 by an official government source. Student Volunteer Program Virtual Tour National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Those have been classified as EF1 tornadoes… Flight Center. Maryland averages 5 tornados per year, resulting in an average of 0 fatalities. The strongest of these was an F1 tornado … NWS According to the Tornado History Project and NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, there have been four tornadoes in the Vegas Valley from 1964-2012. Generally, state tornado numbers were assigned in the order the tornado … Land Multiple locations were found. Severe Storms The flattened vegetation reflects more light than untouched vegetation. Tornadoes. The tornado moved offshore at approximately 7:45 pm. No damage came to our house, but two trees fell down in my mother’s front yard. Two destroyed homes are shown in the picture above (view is to the north). The tornado impacted mainly rural areas thereafter. A number of severe thunderstorms swept through the mid-Atlantic states on April 28, bringing high winds, hailstones, and heavy rains to many areas. -Strongest wind gust: 133 mph (214 kph) -Most Total Rainfall: 11.95 Inches -Most Total Snowfall: None -Highest Storm Surge: 14.19 Feet (4.32 M) -Strongest Tornado: EF1 -Damage Cost: 1.2 Billion (2023 USD) -Deaths: 26 Hurricane Rina made landfall twice in Cuba, being a Category 3 Hurricane at the strongest. MD/DC Hazards The damage path exited Calvert County and entered the Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, seven mostly weak tornadoes touched down in Ontario on June 10. Just west of the railroad tracks is Maple Avenue. Local Storm Reports, Español The tornado’s path can be seen clearly in this pan-sharpened color image acquired on May 1 by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI), flying aboard NASA’s EO-1 satellite. Please Contact Us. The twister—the strongest ever recorded to hit the state and perhaps the strongest ever recorded in the eastern U.S.—flattened everything in its path along a 39 kilometer (24 mile) swath running west to east through the state. EO-1 is the first Earth observing satellite launched as part of NASA’s New Millennium Program. The National Weather Service lifted a tornado watch across most of Central Maryland just after 3 p.m., and tranquil yet increasingly chilly weather was forecast to move in … The ALI is designed to improve upon and extend the measurement heritage begun by the Landsat series of satellites well into the 21st Century. The tornado damage in Calvert County was rated F1 to F2 intensity. Powerful thunderstorms swept through the mid-Atlantic states on April 28, spawning an F4 intensity tornado that ripped through La Plata, Maryland, destroying much of its historic downtown and claiming at least three lives. The heavy cement slabs that formed the roof lifted and fell into the classrooms, windows broke in, and walls were torn away in some places. Seven people were inside one of these houses; all seven survived (3 were in the basement, 2 were on the first floor headed to the basement, and 2 were on the second floor). Parts of trees were thrown into the Chesapeake Bay by the tornado. The tornado was seen moving east across the Chesapeake Bay from Calvert County's eastern shore. VA Hazards April 28,2002 was a very busy day... the second day of a two day outbreak that produced tornadoes in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. Copyrights may apply and permission must be asked before reuse. Harford County estimates the storms caused $1 million in damage. US Dept of Commerce This was the strongest tornado to hit Beaver County since 1985. Two houses and two separate garages once stood between Maple and Lagrange Avenues (just south of Port Tobacco Road). Therefore, the damage occurred in just a few seconds. The powerful tornado touched down in southern Maryland and ripped through the town of La Plata, destroying most of the historic downtown. Homes in Calvert County suffered predominantly roof and siding damage. NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy Lawrence Ong, EO-1 Mission Science Office, NASA GSFC. An EF-0 tornado has winds from 65 to 85 miles per hour. The occupants of the home shown below had safely taken cover in an interior bathroom. The storm moved across Page, Culpeper, Fauquier and Prince William Counties, but produced little damage. Satellite Images Tornadoes were just a portion of the severe weather to affect northern Maryland. Swaths of F3 and F4 damage were observed through town. A tornado … La Plata Tornado - April 28, 2002 April 28, 2012, is the anniversary of one of the strongest tornadoes to hit the greater Baltimore-Washington D.C. During the evening (7:00-745 PM EDT) of Sunday, April 28, 2002, a long track, devastating tornado, with a peak rating of … One Of The Strongest To Strike The East Coast. In Prince William County, hail was reported. Currently the strongest storms are in … A second house (in the background) also was flattened. A number of severe thunder storms swept through the mid-Atlantic states on April 28, bringing high winds, hailstones, and heavy rains to many areas. The tornado originated from a supercell thunderstorm that developed in central West Virginia and moved east across the Appalachian Mountains. The intense storms spawned at least two tornadoes, one of which was classified as an F4 twister. The worst damage was in the Bridgeton area, where a few homes were completely leveled. Three additional homes were leveled along this segment of the tornado path. Hail up to softball size (4.5 inch diameter) was reported with the storm near La Plata. Counties in a high risk tornado area include Charles County, MD, Montgomery County, MD and Calvert County, MD.The largest tornado on record occurred on 04/28/2002, measuring a 4 … April 28, 2017 at 2:09 p.m. UTC It’s been 15 years since the strongest tornado to ever to hit the Washington, D.C., area tracked across La Plata, Md. The powerful tornado touched down in southern Maryland and ripped through the town of La Plata, destroying most of the historic downtown. (Click here to jump to pictures and damage descriptions). Prior to 1950, assessments of F5 tornadoes are based primarily on the work of Thomas P. Grazulis. After crossing La Plata, the tornado moved east-southeast, damaging extensively a heavily wooded area and clipping the Clark Run subdivision. Briefly reaching F5 status, it covered more than 30 miles, and had winds in excess of 260 mph. La Plata is situated toward the lefthand side of this scene and the twister’s swath is the bright stripe passing through the town and running eastward 10 kilometers (6 miles) toward the Patuxent River beyond the right-hand side of the image. Photo: A line of thunderstorms passes through Maryland on Sept. 8, 2012, that would later create tornadoes in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. A tornado passed through our town of Westlake, Louisiana early in the morning of January 13, 1995. That’s when an F4 tornado claimed five lives and caused over $100 million in damage in the town of La Plata. WV Hazards, Current Conditions Twitter Reports. This interactive map, which contains data from January 1950 to October 31, 2020, pinpoints where a cyclone touched down and traces its path of … Considering the amount of damage to the classrooms of this school, it is very fortunate that the tornado struck on a Sunday night when school was not in session. In Southern Maryland, the first tornado was reported in St. Mary’s County around 6:27 a.m. just two miles southeast of Ridge, Maryland. Life, Image of the Day The most powerful tornado recorded in Maryland occured on April 29, 2002, in Calvert and Charles counties. Land Sterling Reporter Email Staff Pronósticos, Education/Outreach Please try another search. Some pictures from this section of La Plata can be viewed below. The intense storms spawned at least two tornadoes, one of which was classified as an F4 twister. This stripe is the result of the vegetation flattened by the storm. Tornado Information for Maryland. Observations Atmosphere The tornado that tore through College Park was the third and strongest tornado in a storm system that passed through parts of Virginia and the District of Columbia. This program is designed to spearhead development and testing of a new generation of satellite remote sensing technologies for future Earth and space science missions. In Maryland, two tornadoes were confirmed in Montgomery County, one in Carroll County, one in Frederick County and one near Cecil County. National Weather Service St. #. The other major player was hail, with dozens of occurrences associated with each mini-supercell. Tornado damage was rated F1/F2 at this point and had already traveled 38 miles. Listen to WTOP online and on … All NOAA. Image of the Day The powerful tornado touched down in southern Maryland and ripped through the town of La Plata, destroying most of the historic downtown. The tornado entered Calvert County south of the Patuxent River Bridge (Route 231) at approximately 7:28 pm EDT after traversing 30 miles. A second tornado touched down just north of Girdletree, Maryland, at 7:20 a.m. Three tornadoes were also reported in Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, … Spotters tracking the storm reported rotation and funnel clouds, but no tornado occurred during this phase. College Park, MD | News | 19h The Track of La Plata's Tornado (April 28, 2002) Source: NWS Many longtime residents of the Mid-Atlantic Region will remember the strongest tornado on record in the state of Maryland occurred 13 years ago today. Current Hazards The first floor remained attached to the foundation, but the rest of the house was swept away. The strongest and most damaging tornado was an EF2 tornado that impacted Mary Lake, flattening a large swath of trees. East of Quailwood, the tornado destroyed part of the Archbishop Neale School (see photo below). This article lists various tornado records.The most "extreme" tornado in recorded history was the Tri-State Tornado, which spread through parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. Localized wind gusts could reach 60 mph and reports of downed trees came in from Leesburg due to storms earlier. Historically, Maryland averages three reported tornadoes each year, most often occurring between May and July. Although it was weakening, it still was strong enough to destroy several homes and kill two people in Calvert County. Unless otherwise noted, the source of the F5 rating is the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), as shown in the archives of the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) and National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Safety/Preparedness Questions? The twister—the strongest ever recorded to hit the state and perhaps the strongest ever recorded in the eastern U.S.—flattened everything in its path along a 39 kilometer (24 mile) swath running west to east through the state. Many areas not damaged by the tornado were damaged from the large hail. Warnings Defined Human Presence. The powerful tornado touched down in southern Maryland and ripped through the town of La Plata, destroying most of the historic downtown. The strongest tornadoes were in Howard and Harford counties. Meteorologists classify tornadoes using the Enhanced Fujita Scale. These swaths and eyewitness accounts suggested that the tornado was multi-vortex (multiple, compact vortices circulating around the parent tornado circulation). It was an EF-0. Baltimore/WashingtonWeather Forecast Office Baltimore/Washington43858 Weather Service Rd.Sterling, VA 20166(703) 996-2200Comments? The tornado crossed Route 6 again. Contractions Hours later, the region would be struck by one of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded in the Mid Atlantic and the strongest since another F-4 tornado struck Frostburg, MD just 4 years earlier. Pictures were taken by Charlie Boyer at Calvert Cliffs Plant. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. Severe Storms, New NASA Satellite Zooms in on Tornado Swath, NASA Goddard Space The intense storms spawned at least two tornadoes, one of which was classified as an F4 twister. Jan and Joan Landsman have lived on Sulaine Court in Finksburg since 1997, and told 11 News this is the strongest storm they've ever seen. The tornado likely was moving at an unusually fast speed of 58 mph as it moved through La Plata (nearly a mile a minute!). The tornado strengthened and widened further as it moved through downtown La Plata. Through downtown La Plata, the damage swath was almost one-half mile wide (approximately 650 yards). A couple of houses, one on Quail Court and another on Quailwood (see photo above), showed F3 damage, while most were rated F1 to F2 intensity. Additional tornado damage continued in Dorchester County across the Chesapeake Bay. Tornadoes were spotted in on the lower Eastern Shore and in Southern Maryland, and one motorist was killed in St. Mary’s County during the storm. The path width at this location narrowed to about 400 yards. Tour Requests A large scale severe weather event developed during the early part of Friday, February 7th. A closer view of this second house can be seen in the second photo below. The pictures below show damage to a swath of trees along the shoreline. 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