WASHINGTON — The National Weather Service confirmed 13 tornadoes touched down in the suburban D.C. area on June 5. There were nine in Maryland, three in West Virginia, and one in northern Virginia. They were all weak (EF-0 or EF-1) tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The strongest tornadoes saw peak winds as high as 105 mph. The two tornadoes with the longest tracks were both EF-1. One was on the ground for 9.1 miles and the other for 15.2 miles across central Montgomery County, Maryland.
Fortunately, no one was killed but five injuries occurred in Montgomery County, where there was also a considerable amount of tree damage. These tornadoes were part of a localized severe weather outbreak caused by the interaction between an area of low pressure along a warm front and an unstable air mass in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Last week's outbreak was similar to two outbreaks that occurred 11 years ago.
On June 10, 2013, four confirmed tornadoes hit Maryland. Two EF-0's were observed in Baltimore County, one EF-0 in Howard County, and another in St. Mary's County. Minor damage was reported with each one.
Three days later, a total of six EF-0 tornadoes developed across the DMV. Although they were all relatively weak, some occurred in heavily traveled parts of Montgomery and Charles counties in Maryland where minor damage was found. The most significant tornado on this day had a 21-mile track across central Montgomery County from North Potomac to Burtonsville.
Most of the tornadoes that develop in the DMV are relatively weak (EF-0 or EF-1) and short-lived. However, stronger and more destructive tornadoes do occur on occasion in this part of the country.
The Fujita Scale (F1) became the "Enhanced Fujita" Scale (EF-1) in 2007, but since the tornadoes described below occurred prior to that, they were measured on the original Fujita Scale. The updated scale reflects more modern estimates of tornado wind speeds and corresponding damage potential.
An F3 tornado passed through College Park, Maryland, on September 24, 2001, where it claimed the lives of two students at the University of Maryland and caused extensive damage. Although not at F3 intensity (winds of 158 - 206 mph) for its entirety, it was on the ground for 17.5 miles and was its strongest in College Park. A confirmed F4 tornado also occurred during this outbreak in Fauquier County, Virginia, with peak winds of 207 to 260 mph. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this tornado.
The two strongest tornadoes on record in the state of Maryland were both F4's. An F4 occurred in Frostburg, Maryland, on June 2, 1998, and was Maryland's strongest tornado for nearly four years. Another F4 was even stronger when it reached its peak intensity in the town of La Plata in Charles County, Maryland on April 28, 2002. This storm caused three fatalities and 122 injuries. Property damage exceeded $100 million in both the 2001 College Park tornado and the 2002 La Plata tornado.
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