Strong Wind, Allegany
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Allegany forecast zone
Strong Wind in Maryland, March 31, 1997
A nor'easter, languishing off the middle Atlantic coast, produced sustained winds between 25 and 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph or higher over all of northern and central Maryland. The winds caused scattered damage to buildings under construction, minor roof damage, and tree and power line damage.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 14
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.
A nor'easter, languishing off the middle Atlantic coast, produced sustained winds between 25 and 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph or higher over all of northern and central Maryland. The winds caused scattered damage to buildings under construction, minor roof damage, and tree and power line damage. In Montgomery Co (MDZ009), fallen tree limbs blocked roads in Bethesda. Several fires broke out in the county; one was aided by the strong winds. A roofer's blowtorch ignited an attic at a Darnestown home, which eventually caused over $100 thousand in damage.In Frederick Co (MDZ004), there were at least 10 instances of trees and wires down, but no major structural damage. A wind gust was clocked at 75 mph in Clear Spring (MDZ003), and some trees and lines were downed elsewhere in the county as well. The winds, which continued through April 1, caused the postponement of the Baltimore Orioles baseball club's home opener.Scattered power outages were reported in the Baltimore Gas and Electric and Potomac Electric Power (PEPCO) service areas. PEPCO reported 3000 outages, most in Prince Georges County (MDZ013).
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Washington
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 39.604, -77.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Frederick
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Frederick forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 39.472, -77.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Carroll
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Carroll forecast zone
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 39.563, -77.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Northern Baltimore
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Baltimore forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 39.443, -76.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Harford
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Harford forecast zone
Strong Wind, Montgomery
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
- Property damage
- $40,000
Strong Wind, Howard
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Howard forecast zone
Strong Wind, Southern Baltimore
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Baltimore forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 39.367, -76.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Prince Georges
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Prince Georges forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.830, -76.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Anne Arundel
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Anne Arundel forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.994, -76.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Charles
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Charles forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.474, -77.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, St. Mary'S
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- St. Mary'S forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.216, -76.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Calvert
- When
- March 31, 4:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Calvert forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.535, -76.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Utah, March 31, 1997
- Coastal Flood in New York, March 31, 1997
- Coastal Flood in Connecticut, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in New York, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in Virginia, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Massachusetts, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Connecticut, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 31, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Massachusetts, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in West Virginia, March 31, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Jersey, March 31, 1997
More
Every storm in Maryland in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, March 1997
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: 5596970, 5596971, 5596972, 5596973, 5596974, 5596975, 5596976, 5596977, 5596978, 5596979, 5596980, 5596981, 5596982, 5596983.