Here’s exactly where the Maryland tornadoes hit (2024)

The most significant tornado, based on both its intensity, was the one that carved a 4.4-mile path near Eldersburg, featuring maximum estimated winds of 110 mph.

Two tornadoes each tracked more than 10 miles in Montgomery County, including one that affected the Poolesville area with 105 mph maximum winds. At least two other tornadoes matched that strength, and seven earned a rating of EF1 on the 0-to-5 Enhanced Fujita scale for twister intensity.

Here are details on the tornadoes which have been confirmed so far.

Eldersburg, Md. — EF1, peak winds of 110 mph

Another supercell to the north of Montgomery County dropped the third-lengthiest twister from the event in Carroll County. Drone footage shared with the Weather Service showed hundreds of trees snapped and toppled at Liberty Reservoir. A tree fell on a house near Eldersburg. This tornado was on the ground from 7:59 to 8:13 p.m. while traveling 4.4 miles. It had a maximum width of 100 yards.

Poolesville, Md. — EF1, 105 mph

This tornado was born from the supercell, or rotating thunderstorm, that tracked about 100 miles from Loudoun County to Baltimore County. It first made contact near Poolesville where it toppled dozens of trees. The tornado lasted from 7:01 to 7:27 p.m. Originally thought to be part of a 26-mile track, the Weather Service later confirmed that two separate tornadoes spanned the county. This one traveled 9.1 miles and had a maximum width of 150 yards.

Southern Baltimore County — EF1, 105 mph

Shortly after sunset, the same supercell that produced the Montgomery County tornado produced another near the Interstate 95 and 195 interchanges in Arbutus, Md., just to the southwest of downtown Baltimore. Numerous trees, power and phone lines were knocked over, and several buildings, including a Home Depot and an Amazon facility, sustained minor damage. The tornado was on the ground from 8:45 to 8:57 p.m., traveling 3.3 miles during that time. It had a maximum width of 175 yards.

Middle River, Md. — EF1, 105 mph

After the primary supercell passed the city of Baltimore, tornado debris was detected by Weather Service radar in Middle River, which is just to the northeast of the city. The agency’s storm survey confirmed damage to multiple mobile homes as well as downed trees. This tornado was on the ground from 9:27 to 9:30 p.m. It had a path length of 1 mile and reached a width of 110 yards.

Gaithersburg, Md. — EF1, 95 mph

The longest lasting tornado of the outbreak, this tornado touched down shortly after the Poolesville tornado dissipated and the area of rotation redeveloped. Five people were injured in Gaithersburg when a large oak tree fell on their house. Many homes and businesses were also damaged. The twister continued to damage trees as it swept to the east through Olney and Sandy Spring before it lifted in Ashton. It was on the ground from 7:27 p.m. until 8:03 p.m. and had a path length of 15.2 miles.

Leesburg — EF1, 95 mph

Before tornadoes started to spin up in Maryland, another small supercell dropped a short-lived tornado north of Leesburg. Debris from this twister was detected on radar. The tornado mainly took down trees, but several homes had minor vinyl and window damage. The tornado occurred from 6:42 to 6:43 p.m. Along a path of one mile, it was as wide as 125 yards.

Columbia — EF1, 95 mph

As the supercell that generated the tornado in Montgomery County swept into Howard County, it produced another twister in Columbia. It tore off roof fascia from a townhouse and toppled trees that damaged about a dozen parked cars. It made contact at 8:31 p.m. and lifted at 8:33 p.m. The path length was one mile, and it was up to 75 yards wide.

Shepherdstown, W.Va. — EF0, 80 mph

This tornado formed from the first rotating thunderstorm of the day. The twister began near Morgans Grove Park and traveled to the Colonial Hills neighborhood. Many large and small limbs were brought down and a few trees were uprooted. The tornado occurred from 4:58 to 5:02 p.m., traveled 1.2 miles and was 130 yards wide.

Carroll County Airport, Md. — EF0, 80 mph

This weak tornado caused some damage near the airport and into the Bear Branch neighborhood where a resident caught it on video. The tornado downed a few trees and caused minor structural damage. It was on the ground from 7:42 to 7:43 p.m. and traveled 0.3 miles with a maximum width of 100 yards.

Inwood, W.Va. — EF0, 75 mph

This was the first confirmed tornado of the event. It traveled mostly through a field and some wooded areas. The Weather Service documented tall grass disturbed in a rotating pattern and a number of trees were damaged. It lightly damaged shingles and gutters on a few homes. The tornado moved north from 4:04 to 4:08 p.m., progressing about 0.85 miles from start to finish. The maximum width was 65 yards.

Kearneysville, W.Va. — EF0, 70 mph

The second tornado of the day touched down near the Chapel View neighborhood. A tree was uprooted near Mount Zion Baptist Church and a number of limbs were brought down in the area. Video evidence showed a tornadic circulation passing by. It happened from 4:29 to 4:34 p.m. The tornado traveled 1.6 miles and had a maximum width of 110 yards.

Baltimore City (Canton Neighborhood), Md. — EF0, 70 mph

Shortly after sunset, a twister hit near the Anchorage Promenade Park and moved into the Canton neighborhood. Video evidence was provided by a resident. A large pine tree was snapped, other smaller trees uprooted, and many limbs were downed, as were signs. It was on the ground from 9:01 to 9:03 p.m. and traveled 0.4 miles, with a maximum width of 90 yards.

Boonsboro, Md. — EFU, unknown mph

A trained spotter shared video of a brief tornado near Boonsboro during the early evening. It lifted and touched down several times in open fields where no damage was noted. Because evidence of the tornado exists but damage does not, the tornado is rated as an EFU or EF unknown. It happened from 5:40 to 5:41 p.m. and traveled 0.5 miles.

The radar animation below shows how the storms evolved. It reveals several discrete, long track supercells, several with appendages or hooks. The southernmost has a very pronounced hook, and travels a long distance, from Loudoun County across Montgomery County, and over downtown Baltimore.

This is the cell that garnered much of the real-time drama and attention, with multiple tornado sightings and videos, from Poolesville to Gaithersburg, then the Columbia area, and Arbutus and Middle River in Baltimore County. It was also the cell for which the first-ever Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado warning was issued in Montgomery County.

A composite map of rotation tracks for each supercell, obtained from Doppler radar, is shown at the top of this article. The dominant rotation track is for the aforementioned, long-track supercell. Based on Weather Service surveys, we have superimposed all known tornado tracks on these rotation corridors. Tornado track colors correspond to tornado EF intensity.

The dominant supercell that tracked through Montgomery, Howard and Baltimore counties unleashed at least six tornadoes. One to its north dropped four. That’s rare for this area and would even be notable in more tornado-prone areas in the South and Plains.

Since 1950, five or more tornadoes have formed in a calendar day only 15 times Maryland. With a total of nine twisters, this event is tied with Aug. 28, 1992. for fourth most in a day

The most recent sizable tornado outbreak in the state occurred Aug. 4, 2020, when 10 twisters associated with the remnants of Hurricane Isaias formed, mostly east of the Chesapeake Bay. The record for most tornadoes in a single day in Maryland is 14, which was set on July 27, 1994. There were 13 tornadoes on June 1, 2012, second most.