A cold front will stall near the Mississippi River Valley today with excessive rainfall bringing areas of flooding over parts of the region. Gusty winds and dry conditions will drive critical to extremely critical fire weather over portions of central and southern California through Thursday. Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for parts of the Florida Keys ahead of Tropical Cyclone Rafael. Read More >
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 923 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2008 ...TWO TORNADOES STRUCK THE MARYLAND SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON SUNDAY AFTERNOON... A TORNADIC STORM STRUCK THE WASHINGTON METRO AREA TWICE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE FIRST EVENT OCCURRED JUST NORTHEAST OF LA PLATA IN THE TOWN OF SAINT CHARLES IN CHARLES COUNTY MARYLAND. AT 2:09 PM EDT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF RENNER ROAD AND ROUTE 5/LEONARDTOWN ROAD. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTH AND DAMAGED THE EASTERN SECTION OF SAINT CHARLES. THE MOST DAMAGED PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY WERE AROUND SNOWBELL COURT...SWEETBRIAR PLACE...AND NORTHGATE PLACE. THE DAMAGE INCLUDED SEVERAL LARGE TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED...SOME OF WHICH FELL INTO HOUSES AND ONTO VEHICLES. ALSO SEVERAL HOMES LOST ROOFING MATERIAL AND SECTIONS OF THEIR SIDING. A LARGE STORAGE SHED WAS ALSO SHIFTED OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND HAD SOME OF ITS DOORS BLOWN OUT. THE STRONGEST WIND FROM THAT TOUCHDOWN WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 80 MPH AND HAS THEREFORE BEEN RATED AN EF-0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. THE LENGTH OF THE PATH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 2 MILES...WITH A WIDTH OF 50 TO 100 YARDS. AFTER THAT TOUCHDOWN...THE TORNADO LIFTED. THE PARENT STORM THEN TRACKED TO THE NORTH PRODUCING NO KNOWN FURTHER DAMAGE...UNTIL THE STORM REACHED THE COMMUNITY OF CHILLUM JUST WEST OF HYATTSVILLE MARYLAND. AT 2:37 PM EDT...A TORNADO THEN TOUCHED DOWN IN CHILLUM AT A WATER PARK NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SARGENT ROAD AND RAY ROAD. TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED AT THE SPLASH PARK. THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED AS IT CROSSED A WOODED AREA AND FIELD BEHIND THE GEORGE E PETERS ADVENTIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. PEAK WINDS ESTIMATED AT 100 MPH THEN STRUCK THE SCHOOL...LIFTING THE NORTHEAST SECTION OF THE ROOF OFF THE BUILDING AND THROWING MOST OF IT INTO THE DOWNWIND PARKING LOT. A CONSTRUCTION OFFICE TRAILER WAS ALSO THROWN ON ITS SIDE. SOME DEBRIS FROM THE SCHOOL WAS CARRIED HIGH INTO NEARBY TREES...SOME OF IT WAS BLOWN INTO THE METROPOLITAN ADVENTIST CHURCH ACROSS THE PARKING LOT DESTROYING SOME WINDOWS ON THE CHURCH. A PIECE OF PLYWOOD WAS CARRIED ACROSS RIGGS ROAD INTO PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY FIRE STATION 44...KNOCKING OUT THEIR POWER. A SCIENCE TEACHER IN THE SCHOOL AND A FIREMAN IN THE FIRE STATION BOTH REPORTED SEEING ROTATION AS THE DEBRIS WAS CARRIED BY THE WIND. THE STORM CONTINUED NORTH DOWNING TREES ALONG RIGGS ROAD...AS WELL AS A LIGHT POLE IN THE PARKING LOT OF A KMART SHOPPING CENTER ON RIGGS ROAD. THE STRONGEST WIND FROM THIS TOUCHDOWN WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 100 MPH AND HAS THEREFORE BEEN RATED AN EF-1 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. THE LENGTH OF THE PATH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE A THIRD OF A MILE...WITH A WIDTH OF 50 TO 100 YARDS. THE TORNADO EF SCALE RATES TORNADOES AFTER THE FACT FROM 0 TO 5 BASED ON THEIR ESTIMATED WIND STRENGTH. THE EF SCALE IS AN UPGRADE TO THE OLD F SCALE WHICH IT REPLACED IT IN 2007. $$ STRONG/LEE