Tornadoes · United States · Maryland · 2004
F0 tornado, La Plata, Maryland, June 17, 2004
This F0 tornado ran 0.3 miles across Charles County on June 17, 2004, touching down at 7:10 PM EDT and reaching 75 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- F0
- Date
- June 17, 2004
- Touchdown
- 7:10 PM EDT (23:10 UTC)
- Path length
- 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
- Path width
- 75 yards (69 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Charles County
- Touchdown point
- 38.530, -76.980
- Lift-off point
- 38.530, -76.980
- Record number
- 241
What the Weather Service recorded
Thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds and heavy rainfall affected the Mid Atlantic region during the evening of the 17th. Reports of downed trees, a weak tornado, lightning strikes, and torrential rainfall came from Northeast and Lower Southern Maryland. A weak tornado touched down just outside of LaPlata in Charles County. Many homes and structures were damaged by fire and water. Firemen reported several fires caused by lightning in St. Mary's and Prince Georges Counties. Emergency personnel also reported the ceiling of a restaurant in Inverson Mall in Hill Crest Heights collapsed under the weight of rain water, and flash flooding necessitated a water rescue on the Suitland Parkway.
A weak tornado touched down on the northside of LaPlata. It was short lived and only remained on the ground for a few minutes. It uprooted and topped about 30 trees.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
7 minutes of warning. NWS LWX issued a tornado warning for this county at 23:03 UTC, 7 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 00:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22:36 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LWX |
| 23:03 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | LWX |
| 23:55 UTC | 02:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | LWX |
| 02:06 UTC | 06:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | LWX |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 20:06 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Jun 17, 3:30 PM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 3:30 PM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 330 PM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 SHORT TERM...TNGT/FRI... ITS BECOME SOMEWHAT HECTIC DURG THE PAST HR HERE DUE TO WATCH ISSUANCE. CELLS ALREADY DVLPG ALL OVR THE RDR SCREEN. OBVIOUSLY GIVEN HIGH PWAL TSTMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HVY RAINFALL. SAVING GRACE COULD BE THAT THERE IS SOME MVMT TO THE ATMOSPHERE...AND IT WOULD TAKE TRAINING TO PRODUCE FLDG. THINK THERE WL BE SOME FOG ONCE AGN TNGT..ALTHOUGH NOT SURE IT WL BE AS DENSE AS IT WAS IN SPOTS THIS MRNG AS WIND COULD STAY UP 5-7 KTS FM W OVRNGT. AIR MASS REMAINS ESSENTIALLY UNCHGD ON FRI...AND WE MAY GET TO DO THIS ALL OVER AGN TMRW... WOODY && .LONG TERM (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)... AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE...OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. WILL RETROGRADE INTO THE SOUTHERN MS VALLEY BY FRIDAY EVENING. THIS WILL SET UP ZONAL FLOW ALOFT FOR SATURDAY. AT THE SURFACE A COLD FRONT WILL PULL THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...BRINGING A THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE MID ATLANTIC STATES FOR SUNDAY AND INTO MONDAY. THE COLD FRONT WILL DROP TO THE SOUTH ACROSS THE CAROLINAS AND TN VALLEY AND STALL...AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE AREA. SLIGHTLY COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL BUILD IN FOR FATHERS DAY AND MONDAY. THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN WILL RETURN TO A MORE ZONAL FLOW FLOW FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL HAVE PUSHED TO THE SOUTHEAST AND TAKE UP RESIDENCY OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC...AS A BERMUDA HIGH. THE QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT WILL DISSIPATE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES AND TN VALLEY DURING THIS TIME. RETURN FLOW WILL BRING BACK HOT AND HUMID SUMMER LIKE AIR WITH DIURNAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A COLD FRONT WILL ATTEMPT TO PUSH THROUGH THE AREA ON THURSDAY. ALTHOUGH...KEPT POPS ONLY AROUND 20 PERCENT FOR THURSDAY. THESE POPS MAY NEED TO BE INCREASED IN LATER PERIODS. WE WENT AT OR ABOVE BOTH THE GFS AND ETA MOS. WE PRIMARILY DID THIS BECAUSE THE MODELS SEEM TO BE OVERLY AGRESSIVE PUSHING THE FRONTS THROUGH THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND AND THEN LATER NEXT WEEK. KELLS/REGA && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...SVR TSTM WATCH 488 TIL 9 PM. MD...SVR TSTM WATCH 488 TIL 9 PM MDC001-003-005-009-011-013-015- 017-019-021-025-027-029-031-033-035-03 7-039-041-043-045-047-510. VA...TIL 9M NRN VA. WV...TIL 9M WVC003-023-027-031-037-057-065. MARINE...SVR TSTM WTCH TIL 9PM PTMC AND NRN CHES BAY.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 17, 11:29 AM EDT, 7 hours 41 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1129 AM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-180800- 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- 1129 AM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 .DAY ONE... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY THE EXTREME EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA...WESTERN AND CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA. STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE PRODUCING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...PENNY SIZE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 2:21 PM EDT, 4 hours 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 221 PM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 MDZ004-005-009-010-172010- CARROLL MD-FREDERICK MD-HOWARD MD-MONTGOMERY MD- 221 PM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 AT 2:10 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BUCKEYSTOWN IN FREDERICK COUTY MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH. PEOPLE TRAVELLING ALONG AND SOUTH ONF INTERSTATE 70 WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. PEOPLE CAN EXPECT WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH... TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 3:32 PM EDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 332 PM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 MDZ007-172127- HARFORD MD- 332 PM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO HARFORD COUNTY... AT 3:30 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BENTLEY SPRINGS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE IN JARRETSVILLE...SCARBORO IN NORTHERN HARFORD COUNTY WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. ROSA
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 7:01 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 701 PM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 MDZ018-180100- CALVERT MD- 701 PM EDT THU JUN 17 2004 ...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CROSS CALVERT COUNTY THROUGH 9 PM... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM DUNKIRK TO CHESAPEAKE BEACH WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS CALVERT COUNTY THROUGH 9 PM. THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR REPORTED...AND MANY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE CAUTION SINCE HEAVY RAIN CAN GREATLY REDUCE VISIBILITY AND CAUSE PONDING ON ROAD SURFACES. SMITH
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), 12:00Z
11.2 hours before the tornado, 59 km from the path. June 17, 2004.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 819 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -50 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 301 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 730 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 35 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 42 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.6
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.3 K/km
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), 00:00Z
0.8 hours after it, 59 km from the path. June 18, 2004.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 863 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -75 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2123 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1144 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 60 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 105 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 2.1
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.8 K/km
The surface observations
Fort Belvoir/Daviso (DAA), 27 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:55 UTC | 86 | 69.8 | 170° 5 kt | 1013.2 | -TSRA | |
| 22:09 UTC | 82.4 | 73.4 | 5 kt | 1013.5 | TSRA BR | |
| 22:27 UTC | 78.8 | 71.6 | 310° 11 kt | 19 | 1014.6 | +TSRA BR |
| 22:42 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 270° 19 kt | 25 | 1014.9 | +TSRA BR |
| 22:56 UTC | 73.4 | 73.4 | 190° 7 kt | 20 | 1014.9 | +TSRA BR |
| 23:02 UTC | 75.2 | 75.2 | 200° 5 kt | 16 | 1014.9 | TSRA BR |
| 23:09 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 150° 6 kt | 18 | 1014.2 | -TSRA BR |
| 23:28 UTC | 75.2 | 71.6 | 3 kt | 1014.6 | TS | |
| 23:56 UTC | 73.4 | 71.6 | 2 kt | 1014.6 | ||
| 00:08 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 2 kt | 1014.6 | SHRA | |
| 00:23 UTC | 73.4 | 73.4 | 200° 4 kt | 1014.2 | TS BR | |
| 00:45 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 2 kt | 1014.9 | BR | |
| 00:56 UTC | 73.4 | 71.6 | 2 kt | 1014.9 | BR |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:11 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2004 tornado in MarylandEvery tornado in Maryland since 1950Warnings in force in Maryland nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of June 17, 2004
6 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.