Tornadoes · United States · Maryland · 2012

EF1 tornado, Bagley to Benson, Maryland, June 1, 2012

Name: EF1 tornado, Bagley to Benson, Maryland, June 1, 2012
Start: 2012-06-01T21:56:00.000Z
End: 2012-06-01T21:59:00.000Z
Location: Bagley to Benson, Maryland

From Bagley to Benson, this EF1 tornado ran 1.2 miles across Harford County on June 1, 2012, touching down at 5:56 PM EDT and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 2, and did $300,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 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.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 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: EF1
Date: June 1, 2012
Touchdown: 5:56 PM EDT (21:56 UTC)
Lifted: 5:59 PM EDT (21:59 UTC)
On the ground: 3 minutes
Path length: 1.2 miles (1.9 km)
Path width: 300 yards (274 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $300,000
County: Harford County
Touchdown point: 39.487, -76.393
Lift-off point: 39.504, -76.388
Record number: 1206011556-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Low pressure tracked through the Ohio Valley and into the Great Lakes. The warm front associated with this system passed through our region during the first. Plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean combined with strong forcing associated with the warm front, causing thunderstorms to develop. Moderate instability along with strong forcing caused some thunderstorms to become severe. ||Wind speed and direction changed rapidly with height near the warm front. This caused rotating thunderstorms, and some of them were able to produce tornadoes.

Initial tree damage was noted in the Stoneybrook Community along Streamside Drive. The tornado crossed Mountain Road and then traveled along the many Strip Malls and Businesses along the Route 1-Belair Road Corridor in Pleasant Hills. Many downed trees and business signs were blown out. Roof and siding damage was also noted on several properties. ||A dentist office in Bel Air lost a portion of its roof. Some signs and debris were carried a half mile along the tornado track. ||The tornado reached its peak intensity along West Grove Avenue and Eutaw Place. The businesses in this area were severely damaged. Warehouses had their front doors and windows blown out and then had significant roof and wall damage as winds exited the structures. A light pickup truck was picked up by the wind and overturned. A small office and storage concrete block structure was unroofed and then had its walls blown in. The falling blocks fell on two men sheltering inside who were injured. ||A nearby Wal-Mart parking lot had street sign and some tree damage. The tornado created chaotic tree damage along Harford Road just west of Connelly Road in a residential area before lifting.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.

Issued (UTC)	Expired	Product	Office
19:40 UTC	04:00 UTC	Flash Flood Watch	LWX
02:56 UTC	11:42 UTC	Coastal Flood Advisory	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, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 20:02 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.

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 21:57 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.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Report	Where	County	Remark
19:21 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 N Gamber	Carroll, MD	SWATH OF MAINLY TREE DAMAGE SOUTH OF TORNADO TRACK APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY REAR FLANK DOWNDRAFT WIND.
19:21 UTC	TORNADO	3 Nnw Gamber	Carroll, MD	PATH LENGTH 2.9 MILES AND WIDTH 150 YARDS. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF UPROOTED AND SNAPPED TREES AND LIMBS.
19:23 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Sw Patapsco	Carroll, MD	TREES DOWN AT 2000 BLOCK OF GREEN MILL RD NEAR FINKSBURG.
19:24 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nnw Finksburg	Carroll, MD	NUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED AND SNAPPED ON SPENCER LN AND BROWN RD NEAR OLD WESTMINSTER PIKE
19:45 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ese Hampstead	Carroll, MD	DAMAGED TREES NEAR HAMPSTEAD.
19:55 UTC	FLASH FLOOD	1 Se Reese	Carroll, MD	SANDYMOUNT ROAD WAS CLOSED NEAR BALTIMORE BOULEVARD.
20:15 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nne Carrollton	Carroll, MD	TWO TREES DOWN NEAR COON CLUB ROAD AT ACADEMY DRIVE.
20:24 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Sse Simpsonville	Howard, MD	TREE KNOCKED OVER ONTO ROOF OF HOUSE. ROOF COLLAPSED.
20:25 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Sse Simpsonville	Howard, MD	DAMAGE TO TREES INCLUDED SOME TREES THAT WERE STRIPPED OF MOST BRANCHES
20:28 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Sse Simpsonville	Howard, MD	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN.
20:28 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ese Millers	Carroll, MD	TWO TREES DOWN NEAR MILLERS STATION ROAD AND ROHRBAUGH ROAD.
20:29 UTC	TORNADO	1 Ene Scaggsville	Howard, MD	TORNADO RATED EF0. PATH LENGTH 1.6 MILES AND WIDTH 75 YARDS. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF SNAPPED AND UPROOTED TREES AND LIMBS. PATH STARTED SOUTH OF MIDDLE PAUTEXNT RIVER NEAR GORMAN RD AND EXTENDED NORTH TO KINGS MEADE BEFORE L
20:30 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Sse Simpsonville	Howard, MD	PATH OF TREES DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF FIRST LEAGUE AND EDEN BROOK DRIVE
20:30 UTC	FLASH FLOOD	1 Nw Greenmount	Carroll, MD	HANOVER PIKE WAS CLOSED NEAR BAGLER ROAD.
20:30 UTC	HAIL 1.7	2 Sse Columbia	Howard, MD
20:30 UTC	HAIL 1.75	2 Sse Columbia	Howard, MD
20:34 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Se Columbia	Howard, MD	TREES KNOCKED DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF RUSTLING LEAF AND SNOWDEN RIVER PARKWAY.
20:35 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ne Columbia	Howard, MD	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF OLD ANNAPOLIS RD AND RED BRANCH RD.
20:40 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Sse Columbia	Howard, MD	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF BROKEN LAND PARKWAY AND CRADLEROCK WAY.
20:42 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ene Scaggsville	Howard, MD	TREES DOWN NEAR 10521 GORMAN ROAD
20:42 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Nw Hanover	Howard, MD	TREE BLOCKING THE ROADWAY NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF RT 1 AND ROWANBERRY DR.
20:42 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Sse Simpsonville	Howard, MD	TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROADWAY NEAR 7418 WEATHER WORN WAY.
20:46 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Oella	Baltimore, MD	A TREE FELL ONTO A HOUSE ALONG WESTCHESTER AVENUE.
21:04 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Se Arlington	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:07 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 N Carroll	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:12 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 S Cylburn	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:14 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Nw Park Heights	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:15 UTC	FLASH FLOOD	Woodlawn	Baltimore, MD	LANDOVER ROAD AT THE BALTIMORE WASHINGTON PARKWAY HAS BEEN CLOSED.
21:16 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 W Park Heights	Baltimore City, MD	LARGE LIMBS DOWN
21:17 UTC	HAIL 0.75	1 Ssw Eudowood	Baltimore, MD
21:18 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ene Cylburn	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:18 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ne Cylburn	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:18 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 N Park Heights	Baltimore City, MD	LARGE LIMBS DOWN
21:18 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 N Park Heights	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:18 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 S Towson	Baltimore City, MD	LARGE LIMBS DOWN
21:19 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 N Park Heights	Baltimore City, MD	TREES DOWN
21:20 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Nnw Towson	Baltimore, MD	LARGE TREE ON HOME ON CHESTNUT AVE
21:20 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Fork	Baltimore, MD	A TREE WAS DOWN ON MARYLAND 147 AND BETWEEN GLEN ARM AND FORT ROAD.
21:24 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Wnw Timonium	Baltimore, MD	TREES WERE DOWN ALONG INTERSTATE 83.
21:27 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 S Eudowood	Baltimore, MD	LARGE TREES UPROOTED AND SNAPPED IN THE AREA OF FELLOWSHIP FOREST. SEVERAL TREES FELL ON HOUSES.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2012 tornado in Maryland Every tornado in Maryland since 1950 Warnings in force in Maryland now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 1, 2012

25 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 1	2:29 PM EDT	EF0	Montgomery, MD	0.6	150		$5,000
June 1	2:37 PM EDT	EF0	Montgomery, MD	0.6	50		$5,000
June 1	2:48 PM EDT	EF0	Carroll, MD	0.4	100		$5,000
June 1	2:52 PM EDT	EF1	Howard, MD	2.1	200		$5,000
June 1	3:09 PM EDT	EF0	Montgomery, MD	0.5	75		$50,000
June 1	3:21 PM EDT	EF1	Carroll, MD	2.9	150		$200,000
June 1	4:29 PM EDT	EF0	Howard, MD	1.6	150		$100,000
June 1	4:32 PM EDT	EF0	York, PA	0.0	25		$25,000
June 1	5:13 PM EDT	EF0	Okeechobee, FL	0.9	20
June 1	5:18 PM EDT	EF0	Pasquotank, NC	0.6	50
June 1	5:25 PM EDT	EF1	Westmoreland, PA	4.8	300		$3.0 million
June 1	5:27 PM EDT	EF0	Prince George's, MD	0.9	50		$2,000
June 1	5:46 PM EDT	EF0	Anne Arundel, MD	0.1	75		$3,000
June 1	6:18 PM EDT	EF0	Bedford, PA	1.5	75		$25,000
June 1	5:27 PM CDT	EF0	Brown, SD	0.5	10
June 1	6:31 PM EDT	EF1	Allegany, MD	1.1	175		$2,000
June 1	7:02 PM EDT	EF0	City of Petersburg, VA	3.0	150	5	$175,000
June 1	7:06 PM EDT	EF0	Anne Arundel, MD	6.6	100		$100,000
June 1	7:17 PM EDT	EF0	Hanover, VA	1.8	100
June 1	8:13 PM EDT	EF1	City of Hampton, VA	3.2	500		$1.0 million
June 1	8:30 PM EDT	EF0	Queen Anne's, MD	5.0	50		$100,000
June 1	7:59 PM CDT	EF0	Clark, SD	2.4	20
June 1	9:08 PM EDT	EF0	Northampton, VA	0.7	75		$3,000
June 1	8:48 PM CDT	EF0	Clark, SD	0.5	10
June 1	9:14 PM CDT	EF0	Clark, SD	0.6	10

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.