Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed over the region on the 7th as a warm front lifted north into southern Pennsylvania. The thunderstorms across Northeast Maryland produced strong winds that downed trees and power lines, penny size hail, and flooding.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed over the region on the 7th as a warm front lifted north into southern Pennsylvania. The thunderstorms across Northeast Maryland produced strong winds that downed trees and power lines, penny size hail, and flooding. Two to four inches of rain fell in Northeast Maryland with local amounts up to six inches. Dozens of water rescues were performed throughout the county, several motorists were trapped/stranded in stalled cars. A cyclist was rescued from a fence after he emerged his bike in the fast moving, deep watersIn the City of Baltimore, stores and businesses along the Jones Falls closed early to allow clients, shoppers and employees to get out before the waters started to rise. A portion of the historic Meadow Mill building in the Woodberry neighborhood was flooded, and nearly 30 cars in the parking lot were almost submerged. The Mount Washington neighborhood also witnessed some impressive flooding. The Meadow Hill Athletic Club reported a loss of 500,000 dollars in exercise equipment. A newly opened men clothing store reported damages around 400,000 dollars. In Southern Baltimore County, a mechanic in Catonsville barely escaped injury when the roof of his Auto repair shop collapsed due to the weight of the water.In north Anne Arundel County, lightning struck the historical Linthicum Heights United Methodist Church in Linthicum. Fire and water damaged a hand painted fresco on the ceiling of the church. Pieces of the building dated back to the 19th-century. Several other minor house fires were reported and attributed to lightning according to fire and rescue personnel, but no other major damage or injuries were cited.
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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 7, 2:00 PM EST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 300 PM EDT WED JUL 7 2004 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT-THU... TSTMS FORMING ALONG THE CLD/CLR DIFFERENTIAL HTG BNDRY. WROTE ABT THE MET PARAMETERS THAT WL CONTRIBUTE TO TSTM DVLPMNT IN MY MRNG DSCN. SVR TSTM WTCH OUT E OF THE MTNS UNTIL 6 PM. XPCT TO SEE CLRG BY MDNGT...AND HV CUT DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY ON THE CLD CVR IN GRIDS OVRNGT. THINK WE HV ONE MORE DAY OF PSBL TSTMS ON THU B4 THINGS BECOME WARMER AND DRIER. CD FNT JUST ABT OUT OF CWA BY 00Z FRI. GOTTA GO... WOODY && LONG TERM (THU NIGHT-WED) UPPER LOW DEPARTS NORTHEASTERN STATES/SERN CANADA THU NIGHT AND STRONG RIDGE BUILDS IN. WX TURNS HOT AND HUMID AS RESULT WITH TEMPS AROUND 90 AND DEWPOINTS NEAR 70F. MCS ACTIVITY COULD ROLL THRU SRN NY/NRN PA DURING THE WEEKEND OVER TOP OF RIDGE. ISOLD -TSRA ACTIVITY POSSIBLE SUN-MON MAINLY OVER THE HIR TERRAIN DUE TO DIFFERENTIAL HEATING. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL TRY TO PENETRATE THE AREA PERHAPS ON WED TO BRING SOME RELIEF TO THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY. ROSA .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...SVR TSTM WTCH TIL 22Z. MD...SVR TSTM WTCH MD003-005-009-013-017-021-025-027-031-033-037. VA...SVR TSTM WTCH VAZ041-042-050>054. WV...NONE. MARINE...SVR TSTM WTCH PTMC AND MD PTN OF CHES BAY. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1120 AM EDT WED JUL 7 2004 DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-080800- ALBEMARLE VA-ALLEGANY MD-ANNE ARUNDEL MD- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA VA-AUGUSTA VA-BERKELEY WV- CALVERT MD-CARROLL MD-CHARLES MD-CLARKE VA-CULPEPER VA- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DC-FAIRFAX VA-FAUQUIER VA-FREDERICK VA- FREDERICK MD-GRANT WV-GREENE VA-HAMPSHIRE WV-HARDY WV-HARFORD MD- HIGHLAND VA-HOWARD MD-JEFFERSON WV-KING GEORGE VA-LOUDOUN VA- MADISON VA-MINERAL WV-MONTGOMERY MD-MORGAN WV-NELSON VA- NORTHERN BALTIMORE MD-ORANGE VA-PAGE VA-PENDLETON WV- PRINCE GEORGES MD-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK VA- RAPPAHANNOCK VA-ROCKINGHAM VA-SHENANDOAH VA-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE MD- SPOTSYLVANIA VA-ST. MARYS MD-STAFFORD VA-WARREN VA-WASHINGTON MD- 1120 AM EDT WED JUL 7 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MARYLAND WEST OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND EAST OF GARRETT COUNTY...EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND WASHINGTON DC. .DAY ONE... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS ISSUED AN OUTLOOK FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN VIRGINIA...EASTERN WEST VIRGINA...AND WESTERN MARYLAND AS HAVING A RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE MOST LIKELY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND POSSIBLY LARGE HAIL. THIS IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR BETWEEN 2 AND 7 PM. STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DRIFT FURTHER EAST INTO THE METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1108 AM EDT WED JUL 7 2004 MDZ002>004-VAZ021-025>031-042-WVZ048>055-072300- ALLEGANY MD-AUGUSTA VA-BERKELEY WV-CLARKE VA-FREDERICK VA- FREDERICK MD-GRANT WV-HAMPSHIRE WV-HARDY WV-HIGHLAND VA-JEFFERSON WV- LOUDOUN VA-MINERAL WV-MORGAN WV-PAGE VA-PENDLETON WV-ROCKINGHAM VA- SHENANDOAH VA-WARREN VA-WASHINGTON MD- 1108 AM EDT WED JUL 7 2004 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS ISSUED AN OUTLOOK FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN VIRGINIA...EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...AND WESTERN MARYLAND AS HAVING A RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE MOST LIKELY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND POSSIBLY LARGE HAIL...AND OCCUR BETWEEN 2 AND 7 PM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.
MDZ010-014-071830- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 201 PM EDT WED JUL 7 2004 A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WESTERN ANNE ARUNDEL AND EASTERN HOWARD COUNTIES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AROUND 15 MPH. EXPECT WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND NORTHWESTERN MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
314 PM EDT WED JUL 07 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0310 PM HAIL REISTERSTOWN 39.46N 76.81W
07/07/2004 0.75 INCH BALTIMORE MD EMERGENCY MNGR
REPORT FROM MEMA.
&&
MANNINGThe Sterling radar (KLWX), 30 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:35 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several downed trees in the Gaithersburg area.
Many roads closed across the county due to high water...especially in Reisterstown, Woodlawn, and Ownings Mills.
Penny size hail reported by the EOC.
Stores and businesses along Jones Fall were damaged due to flooding.
Large tree limbs down on powerlines in several locations.
Several trees and powerlines down countywide.
Trees down.
Downed trees.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maryland in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, July 2004
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: 5417469, 5417530, 5417468, 5417724, 5417720, 5417721, 5417723, 5417722.