Maryland, 2001

Flash Flooding in Maryland, August 11, 2001

August 11, 2001 · NWS PHI · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Slow moving thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused poor drainage flooding as well as stream flooding along the Maryland Eastern Shore during the late afternoon and early evening of the 11th. Doppler Radar storm total estimates reached between 3 and 5 inches across central Queen Anne's County, eastern Talbot County and southern Caroline County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 PHI wrote it up.

Slow moving thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused poor drainage flooding as well as stream flooding along the Maryland Eastern Shore during the late afternoon and early evening of the 11th. Doppler Radar storm total estimates reached between 3 and 5 inches across central Queen Anne's County, eastern Talbot County and southern Caroline County. In Queen Anne's County, stream and poor drainage flooding led to the closure of Maryland State Route 213 between Church Hill and Chestertown. Maryland State Route 19 in Church Hill was also impassable. Many back roads were under two feet of water and some were impassable also. A SKYWARN Spotter reported about 2.5 inches of rain fell within 40 minutes near Kings Town. In Talbot County, flooding closed Maryland State Route 309 between Easton and Cordova. Along the Caroline and Talbot County border, Maryland State Route 328 was flooded near the Tuckahoe Creek. Federalsburg (Caroline County), reported 3.50 inches of rain. No serious injuries were reported.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 11, 1:30 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 11, 1:30 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
230 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2001

WE WILL BE ISSUING A FFA FOR MOST OF OUR CWA WITH THIS NEXT FCST PKG
FOR TNGT. GRANTED THE 2ND PERIOD MIGHT ALSO NEED A FFA BASED ON THE
LINGERING LOCN OF THE FNT...BUT DON/T WANT TO BOX MIDN SHIFT IN AND
THEY CAN REACCESS AFT TNGT/S ACTVTY.

UPSHOT OF ALL OF THIS IS BNDRY IS RMNG QUASI-STATINARY ACRS OUR CWA.
LCL FFA CHECKLIST IS 5 OF 6 AS PWATS ARE GREATER THAN 2
IN/THICKNESSES ARE GREATER THAN NML/AVN K INDEX FCST REACHES
40/INSTAB EXISTS THRU TNGT AND WE HAVE A WK SHRT WV TO ENHANCE PCPN
PTNL AS FNTL BNDRY DRIFTS BACK TO THE N. AVN FCSTG ENUF INSTAB
OVRNGT TO GIVE US THE PTNL TO HAVE CONVECTION GO THRU THE NGT WITH
THE APCHG SHRTWV. HIEST FCSTD K INDEX AND PACHG SHRTWV ACTUALLY MOVE
IN TWD MRNG. INCRG (ALBEIT NOT THAT STG) S-SWLY FLOW AT H8 ALSO APRS
TO CONVERGE OVR OUR CWA.  ONE MISSING INGRED IS A DECENT LLVL HODO
(WHICH ACTUALLY IPVS TWD SUN EVE)...BUT SLO MOVEMENT OF THE TSRAS
HAVE NEGATED THIS ONE LACKING FEAT SO FAR TDY.

THERE IS A CHC THAT THE ONGOING CONVECTION IN VA MIGHT SHUT HVY PCPN
FTHR TO THE N...ONE REASON FOR NOT INCLDG OUR NRNMST CTYS AND ALSO
REASON ITS A WATCH.  WOULD HAVE LIKED TO NOT INCLD BERKS AND THE
LEHIGH VLY ALSO...BUT THEY HAVE HAD HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING ALRDY
AND FFG IN THE SRN PARTS OF BERKS/LEHIGH CTY WOULD BE PRETTY LO.

WILL GO LIKELY/CAT POPS WITH HVY PCPN WORDING FOR TNGT/SUN. IN
GENERAL GUID MINS LOOK OK FOR TNGT...MAX TEMPS A BIT TOASTY ON SUN.

DIF BTWN ETA (IMPLIED NGM MOS) AND AVN FOR HOW QUICKLY WE GET INTO
THE DRIER AIR ON MON. ATTM WE PLAN ON LEAVING POPS IN THE CHC CAT AS
H5 TROF IS STILL TO OUR W. WILL FOLLOW SAME TREND FOR TEMP FCST VS
GUID FOR SUN NGT AND MON.

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HORRIFIC FLOODING IN SUSSEX COUNTY NJ.
THANKFULLY UA PAT IS NOT THE SAME AS THAT DAY TODAY.

MAR: ALL/S QUIET.

.PHI...FFA ALL ZONES INTO TNGT EXCEPT FOR PA54/55 AND NJ1/7/8.

TFG

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Queen Anne'S

When
August 11, 4:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Queen Anne'S County, Central Portion
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
39.038, -76.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Talbot

When
August 11, 4:30 PM EST to 7:30 PM EST
Where
Talbot County, East Portion
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.749, -76.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Caroline

When
August 11, 4:30 PM EST to 7:30 PM EST
Where
Caroline County, South Portion
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.872, -75.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, August 2001

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: 5268770, 5268771, 5268772.