You do not have to see lightning to be close enough for a strike. Lightning can strike 15-20 miles AWAY from the thunderstorm, even with bright sunny skies. In fact, there have been records of lightning striking as far away as 50 miles from a thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, OR are within 15-20 miles of a thunderstorm, stay indoors until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder.
Tornadoes are common in MD. We average 10 tornadoes per year across the state, and since 1950, there have been over 400 of them. The strongest tornado was an EF5 that struck College Park in 2001, followed by the EF4 that struck LaPlata in 2002. More recently, an EF2 tornado struck Annapolis in 2021.
Tornado WATCH vs WARNING: A tornado WATCH means that tornadoes are possible due to favorable atmospheric conditions, but does not mean tornadoes WILL occur. A tornado WARNING means a tornado is likely or already occurring. If you are placed under a tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately in a basement or small interior room on the lowest floor of a building and stay away from windows.
Straight line winds can do just as much damage as a tornado in our area. Wind gusts of 70-80mph will blow down a lot of trees and powerlines, and has potential to produce damage to roofs, siding, and windows as well. Winds of that magnitude also result in flying projectiles that can be life threatening for those without shelter. The majority of storm related damage in MD is caused by straight line winds and microbursts that can reach wind speeds of 100mph in some cases.
Tornadoes are common in MD. We average 10 tornadoes per year across the state, and since 1950, there have been over 400 of them. The strongest tornado was an EF5 that struck College Park in 2001, followed by the EF4 that struck LaPlata in 2002. More recently, an EF2 tornado struck Annapolis in 2021.
Tornado WATCH vs WARNING: A tornado WATCH means that tornadoes are possible due to favorable atmospheric conditions, but does not mean tornadoes WILL occur. A tornado WARNING means a tornado is likely or already occurring. If you are placed under a tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately in a basement or small interior room on the lowest floor of a building and stay away from windows.
Straight line winds can do just as much damage as a tornado in our area. Wind gusts of 70-80mph will blow down a lot of trees and powerlines, and has potential to produce damage to roofs, siding, and windows as well. Winds of that magnitude also result in flying projectiles that can be life threatening for those without shelter. The majority of storm related damage in MD is caused by straight line winds and microbursts that can reach wind speeds of 100mph in some cases.