Damaging Winds in Maryland, May 24, 1999

A line of thunderstorms moved across North Central Maryland during the early afternoon. These storms produced winds in excess of 55 MPH which felled hundreds of trees and knocked out power to 47,000 customers. The hardest hit counties were Montgomery, Howard, Harford and Southern Baltimore. One tree at the intersection of Holder and Echodale Avenue near Baltimore fell onto a minivan and totaled the vehicle. A second tree that fell onto Route 1 near Sandy Hook Road in Harford County nearly missed hitting a moving car. A third tree on Philadelphia Road in Aberdeen fell onto a truck and car. Heavy downpours that accompanied these storms led to minor flooding and lowered visibility, a contributing factor in two serious automobile accidents. One car on Interstate 495 near Greenbelt in Prince Georges County hydroplaned and overturned, killing the 19 year old driver. Another vehicle, an empty tractor trailer, lost traction on Interstate 95 near Halethorpe in Baltimore County and slid into a jersey barrier. The impact of the crash ruptured the gas tank and the vehicle caught on fire, seriously injuring the 50 year old driver.