National Weather Service Confirms 6 Tornadoes Hit Md. On Friday
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Still cleaning up after an intense night of storms. The National Weather Service has confirmed that six tornadoes touched down. The winds toppled several trees in communities all across the region. The heavy rain caused a lot of flooding situations and set off a swift water rescue in Prince George's County. Three teenagers were hoisted to safety after their car was swept away.
Alex DeMetrick spent the day surveying the damage.
Violent weather dropped down in Baltimore County, seemed to hit and skip in Carroll, and rolled through hardest in Harford County. The wind was massive enough to turn trees into missiles.
"It was black, raining sideways. A large oak tree had just fallen," Auburn Bell, a storm victim, said.
"We were outside and we ran for cover. Before I could get the garage door closed, the power went out, the trees all snapped," Dan Johnson said.
"I was actually looking out the back window and the tree in the backyard started to twist, and that's when I ran to the basement," Susan Bryan said.
The aftermath was a long day of clearing trees, many of them weighing tons. Roads throughout the state were blocked.
In one Towson neighborhood, at least half a dozen homes were hit. At a house, the tree was so large, it took a crane to clear it away in sections. But people knew it could have been worse.
"We have one room that was severely damaged, but the main house didn't sustain any damage at all," Craig Wietscher said.
In Fallston in Harford County, two businesses were destroyed, a dozen homes damaged. But there was some good news.
"Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Our injuries were very minor injuries, except for one gentleman who was transported to Shock Trauma," Chief Eddie Hopkins Bel Air Fire Department said.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is confirming a tornado briefly touched down near BWI Airport and as many as five more may have hit the state. Meanwhile, field surveys continue.
"It's definitely been a very strong wind, probably 80, 90 miles per hour-- still kind of piecing that together, but a good strong wind's come through here," Chris Strong of the National Weather Service said.
And where it blew hardest.
"It's been a nightmare," Bryan said.
We could see more tornadoes confirmed as field reviews are checked for accuracy and intensity.
In Harford County, preliminary damage estimates stand at $1 million.
