Tornadoes · United States · Maryland · 2020
EF2 tornado, Girdletree to Stockton, Maryland, August 4, 2020
From Girdletree to Stockton, this EF2 tornado ran 3.8 miles across Worcester County on August 4, 2020, touching down at 7:14 AM EDT and reaching 200 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $150,000 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 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado
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
- EF2
- Date
- August 4, 2020
- Touchdown
- 7:14 AM EDT (11:14 UTC)
- Lifted
- 7:17 AM EDT (11:17 UTC)
- On the ground
- 3 minutes
- Path length
- 3.8 miles (6.1 km)
- Path width
- 200 yards (183 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $150,000
- County
- Worcester County
- Touchdown point
- 38.097, -75.398
- Lift-off point
- 38.044, -75.381
- Record number
- 2008040514-01
The damage survey
3 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS AKQ, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF2. The highest wind the damage implies is 112 mph.
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
The center of Tropical Storm Isaias tracked north just inland of the Middle Atlantic Coast from late Monday night, August 3rd through Tuesday morning, August 4th. Outer bands north and east of the Tropical Storm produced five tornadoes across portions of the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore.
An EF2 tornado quickly developed over George Island Landing Road. The tornado moved toward the northwest coming in from the water. The tornado destroyed several chicken houses and snapped numerous trees in a clearly defined EF2 path. Several homes suffered damage on the edge of the tornado path including blown out windows and some roof loss. A camper was overturned and tossed in addition to a number of outbuildings. The tornado weakened as it moved northwest eventually tracking across Girdletree as an EF0. Several trees were snapped and uprooted on the east side of Girdletree. The tornado then lifted shortly after passing through the Girdletree area.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
19 minutes of warning. NWS AKQ issued a tornado warning for this county at 10:55 UTC, 19 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 11:14 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 06:28 UTC and running to 15:32 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:28 UTC | 15:32 UTC | Tornado Watch | AKQ |
| 09:04 UTC | 09:14 UTC | Tornado Warning | AKQ |
| 10:55 UTC | 11:14 UTC | Tornado Warning | AKQ |
| 11:04 UTC | 11:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | AKQ |
| 11:20 UTC | 12:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | AKQ |
| 11:28 UTC | 12:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | AKQ |
| 11:53 UTC | 12:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | AKQ |
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 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 05:53 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 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.
Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), 00:00Z
11.2 hours before the tornado, 16 km from the path. August 4, 2020.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 920 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -35 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 864 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 841 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 38 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 59 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 75 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.2
- Supercell composite
- 1.5
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 6.7 K/km
Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), 12:00Z
0.8 hours after it, 16 km from the path. August 4, 2020.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 472 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 259 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 648 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 56 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 254 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 273 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.8
- Supercell composite
- 2.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.2 K/km
The radar
The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 11:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:50 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nw Mardela Springs | Wicomico, MD | TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR ROUTE 50. |
| 09:59 UTC | TORNADO | Mardela Springs | Wicomico, MD | NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF2 TORNADO WITH A PEAK WIND SPEED OF 125 MPH OCCURRED AT MARDELA SPRINGS IN WICOMICO COUNTY, MD. THE TORNADO OCCURRED FROM ABOUT 5:55 AM TO 6:00 AM AND TRACKED 1.3 MILES. |
| 11:11 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Ese Stockton | Worcester, MD | LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN, ALONG WITH SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. |
| 11:15 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Ese Stockton | Worcester, MD | NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF2 TORNADO WITH A PEAK WIND SPEED OF 115 MPH OCCURRED NEAR STOCKTON IN WORCESTER COUNTY, MD. THE TORNADO OCCURRED FROM ABOUT 7:14 AM TO 7:17 AM AND TRACKED 3.8 MILES. |
| 11:17 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Sw Catchpenny | Wicomico, MD | TREE AND HOME DAMAGE. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 11:23 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Ssw Catchpenny | Wicomico, MD | DOWNED TREES, GUTTER, AND FENCE DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH A BRIEF EF0 TORNADO AT COUNTRY CLUB SOUTH AND THE GREEN HILL COUNTRY CLUB NEAR QUANTICO IN WICOMICO COUNTY, MD. |
| 11:39 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Nnw Berlin | Worcester, MD | NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF0 TORNADO WITH A PEAK WIND SPEED OF 70 MPH OCCURRED IN WORCESTER COUNTY, MD NEAR THE TOWN OF BERLIN. THE TORNADO OCCURRED FROM ABOUT 7:35 AM TO 7:44 AM AND TRACKED 8 MILES. |
| 11:43 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 56 | 1 Ne Ocean City Municip | Worcester, MD | ASOS STATION KOXB OCEAN CITY. |
| 11:47 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sw Showell | Worcester, MD | TREES DOWN AND SHEARED OFF. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 11:55 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 61 | 1 Se Salisbury-Wicomico | Wicomico, MD | ASOS STATION KSBY SALISBURY WICOMICO AIRPORT. |
| 12:01 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Ssw Ocean Pines | Worcester, MD | NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF0 TORNADO WITH A PEAK WIND SPEED OF 70 MPH OCCURRED IN WORCESTER COUNTY, MD FROM THE ASSATEAGUE VISITOR CENTER TO THE TOWN OF OCEAN PINES. THE TORNADO OCCURRED FROM ABOUT 7:55 AM TO 8:05 A |
| 12:15 UTC | TROPICAL STORM | 3 Nne Ocean City | Worcester, MD | A PORTION OF A ROOF WAS REMOVED FROM A CONDOMINIUM BUILDING NEAR 80TH STREET IN OCEAN CITY. |
| 12:17 UTC | TROPICAL STORM | 5 Nne Ocean City | Worcester, MD | POWERLINES DOWN AT COASTAL HIGHWAY AND 123RD STREET IN OCEAN CITY. |
| 12:40 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 52 | 2 W Marion Station | Somerset, MD | |
| 13:30 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 57 | 2 Se West Ocean City | Anz650, MD | BUOY STATION OCIM2 OCEAN CITY INLET. |
| 13:40 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 69 | 1 S Ocean City | Worcester, MD | |
| 14:04 UTC | TROPICAL STORM | Ocean City | Worcester, MD | A PORTION OF A ROOF WAS REMOVED FROM A CONDOMINIUM BUILDING AT 405 BAYSHORE DRIVE IN OCEAN CITY. |
| 14:24 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 64 | 2 Se West Ocean City | Anz650, MD | BUOY STATION OCIM2 OCEAN CITY INLET. |
| 14:28 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 52 | 2 W Marion Station | Somerset, MD | |
| 14:49 UTC | NON-TSTM WND GST 58 | 1 Ne Ocean City Municip | Worcester, MD | ASOS STATION KOXB OCEAN CITY. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2020 tornado in MarylandEvery tornado in Maryland since 1950Warnings in force in Maryland nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of August 4, 2020
30 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 4 | 2:11 AM EDT | EF0 | Hertford, NC | 5.0 | 100 | $20,000 | ||
| August 4 | 2:37 AM EDT | EF0 | Hertford, NC | 3.0 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| August 4 | 2:49 AM EDT | EF2 | Southampton, VA | 15.9 | 200 | $8.0 million | ||
| August 4 | 2:54 AM EDT | EF1 | City of Suffolk, VA | 21.0 | 150 | $4.0 million | ||
| August 4 | 3:08 AM EDT | EF0 | City of Suffolk, VA | 11.7 | 100 | $10,000 | ||
| August 4 | 4:13 AM EDT | EF1 | James City, VA | 0.8 | 200 | $100,000 | ||
| August 4 | 4:53 AM EDT | EF1 | Gloucester, VA | 4.7 | 250 | $100,000 | ||
| August 4 | 5:40 AM EDT | EF2 | Lancaster, VA | 15.6 | 500 | 5 | $3.0 million | |
| August 4 | 5:55 AM EDT | EF2 | Wicomico, MD | 1.3 | 150 | $230,000 | ||
| August 4 | 6:06 AM EDT | EF1 | Northumberland, VA | 2.2 | 100 | $626,000 | ||
| August 4 | 6:27 AM EDT | EF0 | Saint Mary's, MD | 1.5 | 75 | |||
| August 4 | 6:32 AM EDT | EF0 | Saint Mary's, MD | 5.2 | 100 | |||
| August 4 | 6:52 AM EDT | EF0 | Calvert, MD | 0.8 | 175 | $250,000 | ||
| August 4 | 7:22 AM EDT | EF0 | Wicomico, MD | 2.7 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| August 4 | 7:33 AM EDT | EF1 | Calvert, MD | 3.0 | 100 | |||
| August 4 | 7:35 AM EDT | EF0 | Worcester, MD | 8.0 | 75 | $15,000 | ||
| August 4 | 7:55 AM EDT | EF0 | Worcester, MD | 9.6 | 75 | $20,000 | ||
| August 4 | 8:18 AM EDT | EF0 | Queen Anne's, MD | 0.7 | 35 | |||
| August 4 | 8:25 AM EDT | EF1 | Kent, DE | 3.0 | 200 | |||
| August 4 | 8:25 AM EDT | EF1 | Kent, DE | 2.1 | 400 | |||
| August 4 | 8:55 AM EDT | EF2 | Kent, DE | 35.8 | 500 | |||
| August 4 | 9:45 AM EDT | EF1 | Cape May, NJ | 4.2 | 150 | |||
| August 4 | 10:44 AM EDT | EF0 | Montgomery, PA | 3.1 | 200 | |||
| August 4 | 10:50 AM EDT | EF2 | Philadelphia, PA | 20.8 | 500 | 18 | ||
| August 4 | 10:50 AM EDT | EF1 | Ocean, NJ | 3.3 | 100 | |||
| August 4 | 1:40 PM EDT | EF0 | Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 0.0 | 25 | $15,000 | ||
| August 4 | 6:29 PM CDT | EF0 | Tripp, SD | 0.0 | 10 | |||
| August 4 | 6:39 PM CDT | EF0 | Tripp, SD | 0.0 | 10 | |||
| August 4 | 7:38 PM CDT | Unrated | Mountrail, ND | 4.4 | 100 | |||
| August 4 | 7:56 PM MDT | EF0 | Lincoln, CO | 0.0 | 50 |
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.