WASHINGTON — A long-track tornado tracked across Southern Maryland on Saturday afternoon, snapping trees and fraying nerves along a 16-mile-long path through St. Mary’s County.
Following a ground survey of the damage, the National Weather Service concluded that two weak EF-1 tornadoes, with winds up to 90 miles per hour, touched down during the late afternoon hours.
A tornado warning was issued for Charles and St. Mary’s counties at 4:27 p.m. as the storm was crossing the Potomac River. The first, short-lived tornado is estimated to have touched down south of the U.S. 301 Governor Harry Nice Bridge at 4:28 p.m.
Numerous trees and power poles were knocked over along Morgantown Road. Several homes sustained shingle and roof damage. The tornado lifted near Route 257 around 4:36 p.m.
Around the same time, another tornado touched down near the Swan Point Golf Course. As it crossed the Wicomico River, a gazebo was lifted from a resident’s property, landing in the water.
The second tornado was on the ground for over 30 minutes as it tracked across northwestern St. Mary’s County from Maddox to Oakville.
In Clements, a small outbuilding was destroyed along Horse Shoe Road. The roof and cinder blocks from the structure were hurled about 50 feet across the property. North of Md. 234, an old barn was flattened.
“It was terrible. Everything got black and then all you could hear was the wind and it sounded like a train,” said Gloria Nelson who was in the path of the twister.
“It was a horrible, horrible experience. We have a closet in our hallway that I got into and shut the door. I could just hear the trees falling and I just prayed that they weren’t going to hit my house.” Nelson’s home was spared but most of the trees on her plot of land off Budds Creek Road gave way to the high winds.
The tornado continued northeastward, downing trees as it crossed Md. 242 near Locust Run and Chopticon High School. Several benches near the school’s stadium were lofted into the air and a few metal poles were bent.
The tornado lifted near Oakville along Route 235 at 5:07 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
