Maryland, 2016

Coastal Flood in Maryland, May 5 to 6, 2016

May 5 to 6, 2016 · NWS LWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

5 ft anomalies. With low pressure to the south minimizing the ability of the water to drain to the south, portions of St.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Persistent northeast flow led to elevated tidal levels, about 1.5 ft anomalies. With low pressure to the south minimizing the ability of the water to drain to the south, portions of St. Mary's County along the Potomac River saw moderate tidal flooding during two consecutive high tide cycles.

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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 5, 8:20 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 5, 8:20 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 5, 7:47 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Coastal Flood, St. Mary'S

When
May 5, 9:28 PM EST to May 6, 3:57 PM EST
Where
St. Mary'S forecast zone
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
38.216, -76.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

SGSM2 reported minor coastal flooding over multiple high tide cycles, with moderate flood levels being reach twice, briefly around high tide 1 am and then again briefing around high tide 1 pm.

What these are

Coastal Flood
Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, May 2016

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 638410.