Two EF-0 tornadoes confirmed near Washington DC and Baltimore on October 15, 2014

Severe Weather Outbreak in the Upper Midwest Today

Multiple corridors of severe thunderstorms are expected across the Upper Midwest today and tonight, with a severe weather outbreak including strong tornado potential possible. The most dangerous period is likely during the late afternoon and evening when strong tornado potential should be maximized. Large to very large hail and strong, damaging winds are likely as well. Read More >

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR ALEXANDRIA IN EASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY VIRGINIA... LOCATION...EASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY AND THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA DATE...OCTOBER 15 2014 ESTIMATED TIME...12:23 PM TO 12:26 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...55-65 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...75 YARDS PATH LENGTH...1.5 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...38.780N/77.060W ENDING LAT/LON...38.801N/77.049W * FATALITIES...NONE * INJURIES...NONE * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC HAS CONFIRMED A TORNADO IN EASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY AND THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA ON OCTOBER 15 2014. AFTER A REVIEW OF RADAR OBSERVATIONS...PUBLIC...AND BROADCAST MEDIA REPORTS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC HAS CONFIRMED THAT ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OCTOBER 15 2014...AN EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR BELLE HAVEN IN EASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY VIRGINIA AND CONTINUED NORTH ON AN APPROXIMATE 1.5 MILE INTERMITTENT DAMAGE PATH TO THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA BEFORE DISSIPATING. THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON CORROBORATING EVIDENCE OF OBSERVED DAMAGE LOCATIONS AND ROTATIONAL VELOCITY COUPLETS FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATIONS TERMINAL DOPPLER WEATHER RADARS AT WASHINGTON REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT AND JOINT BASE ANDREWS...ALONG WITH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KLWX WSR-88D RADAR IN STERLING VA. THE TORNADO IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE TOUCHED DOWN AT 12:23 PM...WHERE THERE WAS A TREE DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HUNT ROAD AND BELLE HAVEN ROAD. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTH ACROSS THE BELLE HAVEN COUNTRY CLUB WHERE MORE LARGE TREE LIMBS WERE SNAPPED. THE TORNADO LIKELY LIFTED ACROSS INTERSTATE 495 WHERE IT CROSSES OVER THE GEORGE WASHINGTON PARKWAY...WHERE LARGE TREE BRANCHES WERE DOWNED. SEVERAL MORE LARGE TREE BRANCHES WERE SNAPPED IN THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH BEFORE THE RADAR COUPLET SIGNATURE WEAKENED AFTER 12:26 PM.

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR SAVAGE IN EASTERN HOWARD COUNTY MARYLAND... LOCATION...SAVAGE IN EASTERN HOWARD COUNTY MARYLAND DATE...OCTOBER 15 2014 ESTIMATED TIME...1:13 PM TO 1:14 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...55-65 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...75 YARDS PATH LENGTH...APPROXIMATELY 0.4 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...39.128N/76.829W ENDING LAT/LON...39.132N/76.827W * FATALITIES...NONE * INJURIES...NONE * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC HAS CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR SAVAGE IN EASTERN HOWARD COUNTY MARYLAND ON OCTOBER 15 2014. AFTER A REVIEW OF RADAR OBSERVATIONS...911-CENTER AND BROADCAST MEDIA REPORTS RELAYING GROUND OBSERVATIONS...AND NWS STORM SURVEY RESULTS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC HAS CONFIRMED AN EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR SAVAGE IN HOWARD COUNTY MARYLAND DURING THE AFTERNOON OF WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15 2014. THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON CORROBORATING EVIDENCE BETWEEN INTERMITTENT DAMAGE REPORTS ALONG THE PATH AND ROTATIONAL VELOCITY COUPLETS FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION/S THURGOOD MARSHALL BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KLWX WSR-88D RADAR. THE TORNADO IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE TOUCHED DOWN AT 1:13 PM...APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED YARDS SOUTH OF KNIGHTS BRIDGE ROAD IN SAVAGE. THE TORNADO THEN UPROOTED AND DOWNED A LARGE TREE THAT FELL ONTO THE SOUTH-FACING SIDE OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. OTHER LARGE BRANCHES WERE SNAPPED OFF NEARBY TREES ALONG THE HILL SIDE SOUTH OF STEBBING WAY. A NEARBY STREET SIGN WAS ALSO SNAPPED. THE RADAR COUPLET SIGNATURE WEAKENED AND DISSIPATED AFTER 1:14 PM PRIOR TO REACHING GORMAN ROAD. THESE TYPE OF LOW-END EF-0 TORNADOES ARE COMMON TO QUASI-LINEAR CONVECTIVE SYSTEM ENVIRONMENTS...WHICH OCCURRED ON THIS DAY. FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH. EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH. EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH. EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH. EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH. EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH.