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May 1, 2002 — The damage from Sunday's mammoth tornado in La Plata, Md., that ripped houses from their foundations and turned others into piles of splinters, was enough for NOAA National Weather Service meteorologists on Monday to declare the twister an F5. The preliminary F5 rating—the highest on the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale, with winds exceeding 260 mph—would make the tornado the strongest ever recorded in Maryland. (Click NOAA photo for larger view of tornado damage to home in La Plata, Md., taken April 29, 2002. Click here to see high resolution version of same photo. Note that this is a very large file. Credit "NOAA.")

On Monday, teams of National Weather Service forecasters surveyed tornado damage in Charles and Calvert counties and witnessed scenes more common in southern Oklahoma, than southern Maryland.

"This tornado was simply devastating, and will go into the record books as the one of the worst of all time in Maryland," said James Travers, meteorologist in charge of NOAA's National Weather Service Washington/Baltimore forecast office in Sterling, Va. Travers, along with Barbara Watson, the office's warning coordination meteorologist, surveyed the destruction.

The La Plata tornado was one of 17 twisters that tore through parts of the Midwest and East on Sunday.

According to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, April 2002 so far has generated 100 tornadoes. During an average April, the United States averages 140 tornadoes. Overall, the nation has recorded 140 tornadoes for the year. The SPC also said the seven total tornado-related deaths reported this year is below the 24 deaths usually recorded through April.

The La Plata area was hammered by another powerful tornado about 75 years ago. On Nov. 9, 1926, a major tornado plowed through an area five miles southwest of La Plata, killing 14 and injuring 56.

"Tornadoes can erupt at any time, and anywhere—even in the Mid-Atlantic region. It's wise to learn now how to survive," Travers said, adding NOAA Weather Radio is a key source for up-to-the-minute weather news updates, including severe weather forecasts and warnings.

"I urge everyone to buy one and keep it handy," Travers said.

Tornado Fast Facts from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center

• This is the first F5 tornado in the USA since May 3, 1999 in Oklahoma City.
• Ten percent of tornadoes are F2 and greater, 1 percent of tornadoes are F4 and F5, what NOAA's Storm Prediction Center terms "violent."
• This is the third violent tornado in Maryland history. It had a F4 on June 3, 1998, based on National Weather Service records that began in 1950. Based on records from Tom Grazulis with The Tornado Project, Maryland had a F4 on June 23, 1944. These are the only violent tornadoes in Maryland since 1904.
• The deadliest tornado in Maryland history was on Nov. 9, 1926, which caused a total of 17 deaths, 14 of those at a small school outside La Plata, Md., the site of last Sunday's fierce F5.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's Storm Watch — Get the latest severe weather information across the USA

NOAA's Tornadoes Page

USA Weather Hazards

NOAA's Weather Page

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center

NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory

Media Contact:
John Leslie, NOAA's National Weather Service, (301) 713-0622 or Keli Tarp, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, (405) 366-0451
(Photo courtesy of NOAA's National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington forecast office.)