November 3 2018

The survey of storm damage from the November 2 storms in both Mount Airy and Baltimore Maryland have been completed. Both have been confirmed as EF-1 storms and I stand corrected. My prior report (linked below) shows the Doppler Radar images and animations from both storms. While there was a slight hint of a circulation, the overall cell structure appeared to be a microburst. That might explain the very quick spin up and why The National Weather Service (NWS) did not issue a Tornado Warning for these cells.

I must follow protocol to not cause alarm with severe weather. I only suggest a tornado before confirmation when one of the following takes place:

Hook echo on Doppler Radar
Visual Confirmation

Since this was not the case, I must wait until the NWS survey is complete. There are insurance claims and other liability that must be considered. Needless to say, the damage was extensive in the reported areas below and in the other spots that had straight line winds without the twister.

The other storms the produced damage were not noted in these updates. Harford County and York County PA damage was likely from straight line winds. The other storm in Charles County was the only one that had a Tornado Warning with it and a clear signature on Doppler Radar. I am still waiting to see any update on that storm survey.

Here is the official report for the two confirmed tornadoes.

Mount Airy Tornado

Path -= 4.7 miles long, 400 yards wide
Top winds = 100 mph

NWS Official Survey Report

..SUMMARY...
A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN EXTREME NORTHWEST HOWARD COUNTY MD, 
APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 AROUND 8:20 PM EDT.
THE TORNADO QUICKLY MOVED NORTH OF THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE 
PATAPSCO INTO CARROLL COUNTY, WHERE NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED
IN THE PHEASANT RIDGE AREA SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70.  

THE TORNADO PROCEEDED TO MOVE INTO THE RETAIL AREA OF MT. AIRY,  
WHERE A CANOPY OVER THE GAS PUMPS AT HIGH'S DAIRY STORE WAS 
PARTIALLY TORN OFF, AND THE TJ MAXX ROOF WAS LIFTED UP AND 
PARTIALLY REMOVED. THERE WERE ALSO NUMEROUS TREES DOWN BEHIND 
THE SHOPPING CENTER NEAR THE WATER TOWER.

THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED NORTH, WHERE THE ROOFS OF SEVERAL 
OUTBUILDINGS OF KNILLS FARM MARKET WERE AT LEAST PARTIALLY 
BLOWN OFF AND A SILO WAS DESTROYED.  AS THE TORNADO CROSSED
WATERSVILLE ROAD, IT SNAPPED SEVERAL POWER POLES, WHICH MERITED
THE MAXIMUM WIND ESTIMATE OF 100 MPH, ALONG WITH THE SNAPPING
OF FIVE PINE TREES AT A RESIDENCE ON WATERSVILLE ROAD.  SEVERAL
RESIDENCES ALONG ARROWWOOD CIRCLE WERE IMPACTED WITH MINOR
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. NUMEROUS HARDWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED ALONG
THE 6000 BLOCK OF RUNKLES ROAD.

THE LAST EVIDENCE OF TORNADIC DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ON GILLIS FALLS
ROAD WHERE A FEW TREES WERE UPROOTED JUST EAST OF RUNKLES ROAD.
RADAR IMAGERY FROM THE FAA'S TERMINAL DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR
SHOWED THE TORNADIC COUPLET DISSIPATE NORTH OF GILLIS FALLS ROAD.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXTENDS ITS GRATITUDE TO THE CARROLL 
COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND THE 
CARROLL COUNTY SHERRIF'S OFFICE FOR PROVIDING DRONE RECONNAISSANCE 
SUPPORTING THE DAMAGE SURVEY.

Doppler Radar Velocity Scan Loop

Baltimore Tornado

Path = 2.5 miles long, 150 yards wide
Top winds = 105 mph

NWS Official Survey Report

...SUMMARY...
A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN BALTIMORE CITY AT 9:42 PM EST ON 
FRIDAY EVENING NOVEMBER 2, 2018. INITIAL DAMAGE WAS TO A TRACTOR 
TRAILER WHICH WAS BLOWN OVER ON INTERSTATE 95 JUST NORTH THE FORT 
MCHENRY TUNNEL, AND A FENCE LINE BLOWN OVER ON SOUTH NEWKIRK 
STREET. FROM THERE THE TORNADO TRACKED EAST AS IT MOVED NEARLY 
PARALLEL TO HOLABIRD AVENUE. IT BLEW IN LARGE GARAGE DOORS ON 
BOTH SIDES OF THE BUILDING AT FLEXI-VAN LEASING FACILITY. 

AS IT MOVED EAST AND IMPACTED THE NORTH BUILDING OF THE AMAZON 
SORTING FACILITY, THE TORNADO REACHED PEAK INTENSITY OF 
APPROXIMATELY 105 MPH WHICH SUPPORTS THE RATING OF EF-1. THERE IT 
BLEW OFF THE ROOF OF A PORTION OF THE BUILDING, INCLUDING IRON 
RAFTERS. WITH THE LOSS OF THE ROOF, THE EIGHT INCH CONCRETE WALL 
PANELS PUSHED IN AND COLLAPSED INTO THE BUILDING TOWARDS THE NORTH 
END OF THE WEST WALL. TWO FATALITIES OCCURRED INSIDE THE BUILDING 
WITH THE WALL COLLAPSE. ABOUT A DOZEN TRUCK TRAILERS WERE PUSHED 
OVER, MOVED, OR ROLLED BY THE WIND. TWO OF THE TRAILERS WERE NOTED
TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE WIND THAT 
TOPPLED THE WALL. SEVERAL LIGHT STANCHIONS AND SIGNS WERE BLOWN 
OVER. SEVERAL CAR WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT BY FLYING DEBRIS.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF HOLABIRD AVE., 
UPROOTING SEVERAL LARGE TREES, AND SNAPPING DOZENS OF LARGE TREE 
BRANCHES. DAMAGE ALONG THE ENTIRE PATH WAS MAINLY CONVERGENT, AND 
WHILE MUCH OF THE DAMAGE WAS FROM WEST-SOUTHWEST TO EAST-NORTHEAST, 
THERE WERE SEVERAL NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS OF DAMAGE IN DIFFERING
DIRECTIONS. AN EYEWITNESS FIRE FIGHTER OUTSIDE THE BALTIMORE CITY 
FIRE DEPARTMENT ENGINE 50 FIREHOUSE IN THE AREA SAW THE SWIRLING 
DEBRIS AND THE FUNNEL CLOUD AS IT PASSED. THE TORNADO LIFTED AS IT 
REACHED THE INTERSECTION WITH DUNDALK AVENUE.

AFTER IT INITIALLY LIFTED, THE TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN ONE 
LAST TIME ON THE HOLABIRD EAST APARTMENTS ON 4 GEORGES CT IN 
DUNDALK, IN ADJACENT BALTIMORE COUNTY. THE NORTHEAST BUILDING IN 
THE COMPLEX WAS UNROOFED ENTIRELY. THE STRONG SOUTHWEST WIND HIT 
THE BUILDING BROADSIDE AND LIFTED THE ROOF OFF THE BUILDING. NO 
OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED IN THE AREA. A RESIDENT REPORTED SWIRLING 
WINDS WITH THE EVENT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXTENDS ITS GRATITUDE TO THE BALTIMORE 
CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,
AND THE BALTIMORE COUNTY OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY 
MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH THE DAMAGE SURVEY.

Doppler Radar Velocity Scan Loop