Maryland, 1996

High Wind in Maryland, March 19, 1996

March 19, 1996 · NWS LWX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Deep low pressure moving up the Ohio Valley produced gusty east winds which blew down trees and limbs, some onto power lines. Undoubtedly, moist ground contributed to the damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
6
Property damage
$75,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.

Deep low pressure moving up the Ohio Valley produced gusty east winds which blew down trees and limbs, some onto power lines. Undoubtedly, moist ground contributed to the damage. Most of the damage occurred in Baltimore City (MDZ011), where larger buildings likely induced localized severe (greater than 58 mph) gusts. One of these gusts blew down a plywood walkway in downtown Baltimore, injuring 6 persons. Baltimore Gas and Electric (BG&E) reported over 22,000 customers were without power at the height of the storm.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Carroll

When
March 19, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
39.563, -77.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northern Baltimore

When
March 19, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Baltimore forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.443, -76.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Howard

When
March 19, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Howard forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$5,000

High Wind, Southern Baltimore

When
March 19, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Baltimore forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Injuries
6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
39.367, -76.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Anne Arundel

When
March 19, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Anne Arundel forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
38.994, -76.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, March 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5539192, 5539193, 5539194, 5539195, 5539196.