Tornadoes and Hail in Maryland, June 2, 1998

The combination of an upper-level disturbance, increasing atmospheric shear, and ample instability set the stage for a major severe weather episode across the north half of Maryland during the late afternoon and evening. The episode was highlighted by supercell thunderstorms which produced three tornadoes, numerous instances of large hail, and several downbursts.The most substantial event was a strong-to-violent tornado which caused excessive damage in western Allegany Co. The multi-vortex twister had estimated wind speeds of 210 mph - the highest in recorded Maryland history - when it ravaged a neighborhood of well-constructed single-family homes along a local plateau just north of Frostburg. The tornado was on the ground for an amazing 33 miles, beginning in Somerset Co, Pennsylvania before crossing northeastern Garrett Co Maryland on its way to Allegany Co. The parent supercell tracked over 200 miles. After descending Big Savage Mountain, the twister produced a swath of destruction across a neighborhood just west of Frostburg. At least eight homes were destroyed and dozens others were damaged. Several cars were damaged, and some were totalled. One two-story home was obliterated. Left in the wake was the foundation and some remnant plywood. The residents of the home - a woman and two children - received ample warning and rode out the storm to safety in the basement. Advance warning likely saved several lives and reduced casualties; in all, only 5 area residents sustained minor injuries.The tornado continued through Eckhart Mines and Clarysville, causing further damage and destruction to homes and other property. It then continued through undeveloped areas, then passed across Dans Mountain before damaging a few more residences along state route 53 just north of Cresaptown. The twister lifted at that point, but the parent thunderstorm continued producing damage into eastern West Virginia. In all, emergency management officials reported 29 homes destroyed and 125 damaged, with nearly half of the surviving homes receiving moderate to major levels of damage. Initial dollar estimates ranged from $4.5 to $5 million. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of trees in forested and developed areas were snapped or uprooted. The supercell was so powerful that Frostburg area residents' papers, including personal checks and one high school diploma - were found over 50 miles downstream in the northern Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.The "Frostburg Tornado" was not the only twister to affect the county. The area had been on high alert since early evening - tornado warnings had been issued two other times, and funnel clouds were observed by several witnesses prior to sunset. One of the funnels touched down not too far from where the Frostburg Tornado entered the county - along the west side of Big Savage Mountain nearly 2 hours earlier. The funnel lifted while over Frostburg and nearby communities, and continued through Cumberland before touching down again on Irons Mountain 2-3 miles southeast of the city. In each instance, damage was limited to forested areas along the ridges.Tornadoes were just a portion of the severe weather to affect northern Maryland. The other major player was hail, with dozens of occurrences associated with each mini-supercell. The strongest cells produced hailstones ranging from 1.75" to 2.50" in diameter; the strong updrafts in each storm combined with steep atmospheric lapse rates to produce not only large hail but long-duration hail as well. Some areas experienced up to 20 minutes of hail, and many residents noted hail which covered the ground. Reported damage included some stripped siding, varying sized dings and dents, as well as shattered glass, in numerous vehicles; stripped paint from homes and vehicles, small limb and leaf debris, and likely crop damage or destruction. The main hail-producing storm affected portions of northern Montgomery, Howard, southern Carroll, southern Baltimore, and northern Prince George's and Anne Arundel Cos - all between 1800 and 1945EST.The episode concluded in Maryland with a few wind damage reports on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay just before midnight. Winds blew out the door to the Annapolis (Anne Arundel Co) city fire department station, and knocked several large trees down in Eastport at approximately the same time.