September 24, 2001 Tornadoes
Summary by Barbara Watson, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service, Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office
National Weather Service - Early Products issued
Severe Weather Outlook (WBCSPSLWX) specifically mentioning the threat for
tornadoes was issued at 4:00 am EDT and again at 11:09 am EDT
Tornado Watch #758 (WBCSLSDC) was issued at 1:30 pm for the entire area
which was later impacted and a follow-up Special Weather Statement
discussing the Tornado Watch was issued at 2:03 pm EDT.
.... Storm # 1 Culpeper-Fauquier-Loudoun
...
First Tornado Warning was issued at 2:36 pm EDT for Culpeper
County.
Second Tornado Warning was issued at 308 pm for Northern Culpeper
and Central Fauquier County.
| Tornado # 1 |
Time:
3:03 to 3:25 p.m. EDT |
| F-scale: 4 |
Est. Max Wind: 200 - 225 mph |
| Path Length: 10 miles |
Path Width: 75 yards |
| Deaths:
0 |
Injuries:
2 |
NWS Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office Storm Damage Survey Team:
Steve Zubrick and Michelle MargrafDescription:
A tornado touched down in
Rixeyville blowing a tree into a home on Route 640. It moved 2 miles
northeast and rapidly intensified as it hit a solidly constructed 3-level
brick home on Indian Fork road. At 3:07 pm, the tornado leveled the
house carrying large debris up to a half mile away. The tornado was rated
at the lower end of a F4 (estimated maximum winds of 207 to 225
mph). From here, the tornado moved on to Jeffersonton at 3:15 pm where it
moved through a trailer park on the south side. Three trailers were
destroyed and four more were damaged. Two people were injured. Four
churches in Jeffersonton were damaged and significant tree damage occurred
along the path. The tornado was rated at the lower end of F2 strength
(estimated max winds of 115 to 130 mph) in Jeffersonton. Northeast of
Jeffersonton, the tornado demolished a garage and porch of a two story
house along with part of its roof. An adjacent house also lost the roof to
a sun room.
As the tornado continued north
it was weakening. It crossed the Rappahannock River as a F1 tornado into
Fauquier County (3:19 pm) taking the roof off a barn and damaging some
trees. The tornado appeared to have weakened to F0 or lifted by the time
it reached Route 211 and the track was lost. The track on the ground to
this point was 10 miles with an average path width of only 75
yards.
Destroyed Trailers south of Jeffersonton. Photos by
Steve Zubrick, NWS |
House 2 miles northeast of Rixeyville. Photos by Steve
Zubrick, NWS
House in Jeffersonton lost part of roof and sunroom. Photos
by Steve Zubrick, NWS |
Third Tornado Warning was issued at 345 pm for Northern and
Central Fauquier County.
Fourth Tornado Warning was issued at 400 pm for Northern Fauquier
and Central and Western Loudoun County.
| Tornado # 2 |
Time:
3:49 to 4:03 p.m. EDT |
| F-scale: 1 |
Est. Max Wind: 90 - 110 |
| Path Length: 6 miles |
Path Width: 50 to 100
yards |
| Deaths:
0 |
Injuries:
0 |
Storm Survey by NWS Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office Survey
Team: Steve Zubrick and Michelle MargrafDescription:
The another tornado descended
out of the Rixeyville storm at about 3:50 pm just west of The Plains and
struck a house near the intersection of John Marshall Highway (Route 55)
and Bunker Hill Road. The tornado caused extensive tree and power line
damage around the home and ripped the porch off depositing it about 50
feet away. Lumber pieces from the porch were hurled into nearby vehicles.
A small pool house was destroyed. Two other homes nearby had damage. The
tornado was rated a F1 with estimated winds between 80 and 110 mph.
As the tornado moved north-northeast Whitewood Road, most of the damage
was to trees. The tornado weakened to an F-0 (winds 50 to 70 mph) by the
time it crossed Rock Hill Road and headed toward Middleburg. The
total path was about 6 miles long.
 |
House near bunker Hill and Route 55. Photos
by Steve Zubrick, NWS |
... Storm # 2 Stafford-Prince
William-Fairfax-Arlington-DC-Prince Georges-Howard ...
Fifth Tornado Warning was issued at 4:09 pm EDT for Stafford
and Prince William Counties in Virginia.
| Tornado # 3 |
Time:
4:10 to 4:32 p.m. EDT |
| F-scale: 0 |
Est. Max Wind: 50 - 70 |
| Path Length: 11 |
Path Width: 50 - 100
yds |
| Deaths:
0 |
Injuries:
0 |
Storm Survey by NWS Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office Survey
Team: Steve Zubrick and Barbara WatsonDescription:
A person called the Stafford
County 911 center sighting the funnel cloud near Garrisonville at
4:08. It moved onto Quantico Marine Base and touched down.
Fortunately, It was only F0 strength (50 to 70 mph). It took down a
scattering of trees along its path through the base and was witnessed
passing about a quarter a mile was of the fire station on the base. It
then moved north-northeast into Prince William County at 4:19 pm EDT
passing (or skipping) through the Prince William Forest Park. It was still
an F0. It passed through the Lake Montclair Community where it took down a
few trees, broke branches on others and bent up some siding on a home. The
tornado path was only about 75 yards or less across. The tornado
tracked about 4.5 miles in Stafford County and about 6.5 miles in Prince
William County for a total of 11 miles though it may not have been
on the ground the entire time.
Sixth Tornado Warning was issued at 4:53 pm EDT for Eastern
Fairfax and Arlington Counties, Alexandria, Falls Church and the
District of Columbia.
| Tornado # 4 |
Time:
4:44 to 5:12 p.m. EDT |
| F-scale: 1 |
Est. Max Wind: 90 - 110 |
| Path Length: 15 miles |
Path Width: 75 - 100
yds |
| Deaths:
0 |
Injuries:
0 |
Storm Survey by NWS Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office Survey
Team: Barbara Watson, Neal Dipasquale, and Steve ZubrickDescription:
The thunderstorm dropped its
second tornado near Newington Road just west of Fort Belvior in Fairfax
County at about 4:44 pm. The tornado was weak but long lasting. It would
oscillate between F0 winds (50-70 mph) were it would damage tree branches
and carry around light debris to F1 strength (max winds 80 to 100
mph) where it would uproot or snap trees and cause some exterior damage to
homes and roofs. The tornado skipped along moving north-northeast. It
passed through Franconia (F1) damaging several townhomes and then damaged
a lot of trees off Brookland Drive in Franconia. It moved into the City of
Alexandria at about 4:55 pm EDT. It was F0 as moved across much of
western Alexandria but strengthened back to F1 as it neared Shirlington
and then passed into Arlington County (4:59 pm EDT) and moved up to the
Pentagon City Mall. At 5:02 pm, the neighborhood just south of Pentagon
City was hardest hit by this tornado with large trees down, utility poles
down and some damage to a couple house roofs.
The tornado passed the Pentagon
City Mall taking the I-395 Pentagon exit sign and hurling it through the
air. Its last act as it was weakening to F0. It crossed the Potomac River
at the 14th Street Bridge. At about 5:06 pm, the tornado was seen moving
into the District of Columbia. Now a thin funnel in its rope stage. It
passed the Jefferson Memorial and crossed the Tidal Basin snapping tree
branches. It was seen passing just south of the Washington Monument,
headed for the Smithsonians and the Capitol. Fortunately it was only
strong enough at this point to swirl trash and leaves and break a few
branches. The Funnel broke off near the Capitol. The funnel cloud
continued to be observed as the storm moved northeast across McMillan
Reservior. Soon it would touch down again and hit College Park. The total
track length was about 15 miles long.
 |
Window broken on house and tree damage around
yard.
Picture taken by Fairfax County Emergency Management. |
Seventh Tornado Warning was issued at 5:10 pm EDT for Northern
Prince Georges and Southeastern Montgomery Counties. Warning
indicated College Park at 5:20 pm and Beltsville at 5:24 pm.
Eighth Tornado Warning was issued at 5:31 pm EDT for Southeast
Howard and Extreme Northwest Anne Arundel Counties. The tornado
entered Howard County at 5:42 pm EDT.
| Tornado # 5 |
Time:
5:19 to 5:54 p.m. EDT |
| F-scale: 3 |
Est. Max Wind: 150 - 200 mph |
| Path Length: 17.5 miles |
Path Width: 100 - 200
yards |
| Deaths:
2 |
Injuries:
50+ |
Storm Survey by NWS Baltimore-Washington Forecast Office Survey
Team: Barbara Watson and Jim TraversDescription:
Thunderstorm moved out of the
District of Columbia and dropped another tornado. This one became violent
as it moved into the University of Maryland Campus at 5:22 pm. Heavy
damage began at Adelphi and University Blvd. The tornado struck 10
trailers (being used as temporary facility for the Maryland Fire and
Rescue Institute) and tore them to pieces. One trailer bottom was carried
200 yards into some trees. A car carrying two young females students
(sisters) was hurrled several hundred yards and over a high-rise 8 story
dormatory. The ladies were sadly killed. The nearby buildings took damage
to windows, doors, trim, and roof and showed marks of where airborne
missiles struck the buildings but did not punch through. The tornado was
rated F3 at this point (Max winds 175 to 200 mph) and was believed to have
two vortices.
All that is left of the Maryland Fire & Rescue
Institute after the tornado.
Photo by Kay Grahm, Prince Georges County
Office of Emergency Preparedness. |
Little is left of what was once 10
trailers that temporarily housed the Maryland Fire and Rescue
Institute. Photo by Kay Grahm, Prince Georges County Office of
Emergency Preparedness. |
Behind the dorms, the tornado
crossed a student parking lot tossing cars on top of one another and into
trees which it flattened. The tornado left College Park where it had done
$15 million in damages to the University and headed north crossing the
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Research Center. Here it did an estimated $41
million in damages to buildings and lost research. The tornado continued
north through Beltsville between I-95 and U.S. Route 1 damaging homes,
businesses, and schools. It was still F2 (max winds up to 150 mph)
strength...a significant tornado.
University of Maryland parking lot. Cars were
flipped and tossed by the tornado.
Photo by Kay Grahm, Prince Georges County
Office of Emergency Preparedness. |
Church bus tossed into some trees.
Church off Route 1 in Beltsville area.
Photo by Kay Grahm, Prince Georges County
Office of Emergency Preparedness. |
The tornado hit the heart of
Laurel at 5:39 pm (as captured on video). It cut a path through the city
just west of the downtown area. One vortex briefly reached back up into
the F3 strength as it tore the roof off of a wing of the Laurel High
School and then destroyed a single level house in the neighborhood behind
the school. Moving out of Laurel, it crossed from Prince George's
County into Howard County. Here it was still F2 strength and it damage 43
townhomes. It began to weaken to F1 (max winds 90 to 110 mph) as it moved
north through new and old neighborhoods west of Savage, Maryland. It
continued to weaken as it crossed I-95 at route 32 (max winds 70 to 90
mph). The last known damage from the tornado was seen in Columbia at
Snowden River Parkway and Patuxent Parkway.
Photo by Langston Majette.
Tornado is west of College Park Airport near University. |
Side of brick building in Beltsville blown out by
tornado.
Photo by Kay Grahm, Prince Georges County
Office of Emergency Preparedness. |
Downtown Laurel building lost roof and
took other damage by tornado.
Photo by Kay Grahm, Prince Georges County
Office of Emergency Preparedness. |
Roof gone from Laurel High School in Laurel.
Copyright 2001, The Baltimore Sun, Photo by
Kenneth Lam |
This was 17.5 miles from
its touch down point. The path width ranged from a narrow 50 yards to 200
yards and probably averaged around 150 yards. Damages to Prince
Georges County were 861 residential homes damaged, 560 vehicles damaged,
and at least 23 commercial businesses. Damages to the county were
estimated at $16 million but would likely go up. Howard County likely saw
another million in damage. Add this to the $41 million to USDA and $15
million to the Universtiy and it comes to over $73 million dollars
in damages. Two people were killed and over 50 injured. A video from the
Fire and Rescue Institute was found near Ellicott City (about 25 miles
away), IDs were found in Monkton (about 45 miles away) and papers were
found in a field in Northwest Harford County (about 60 miles away).
 Last
updated 10/5/01 BMW
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