A historic tornado (photo MCFRS) struck the Montgomery County, Maryland area on the 5th. As a tornado that occurred in Northern Virginia crossed the Potomac River, grew stronger, turned toward the Gaithersburg area and approached downtown along Route 270, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado warning (Particularly Dangerous Situation) this afternoon.) was issued.
This is the first time a PDS warning has been issued by the NWS Baltimore-Washington office, and PDS warnings are known to be very rare even in areas where tornadoes frequently occur.
When a PDS warning is issued, residents must evacuate immediately, and on this day, a “very dangerous tornado that could threaten life” occurred in Montgomery County. Evacuate to a safe place right now! “Go to the basement of your home or lower level of a sturdy building, stay away from windows, and if you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, go to a nearby shelter,” the warning said.
A tornado was confirmed in the Poolesville area at 7:11 p.m. on this day, followed by Germantown at the 29th and Gaithersburg at the 42nd, and a tornado was also reported in the Baltimore area at 8:30. Authorities announced, “At least two tornadoes occurred, and we are currently investigating the exact number and movement paths.”
A tornado swept through Montgomery County that day, collapsing buildings, trapping people and injuring at least five people, and not only causing power outage due to fallen trees in various places, but also causing traffic congestion on the way to work the next morning.
This tornado was accompanied by strong winds, heavy rain, and hail approaching 1 inch, causing damage not only in Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland, but also in parts of Loudoun County in Virginia.