The tornado outbreak of September 24, 2001 was one of the worst tornado events to ever have directly affected the
Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area in the United States.[1] The outbreak occurred on Monday, September 24, 2001, and was responsible for two deaths and 57 injuries.[2]
Meteorological synopsis
On September 24, 2001, a
District of Columbia at 17:19 UTC.[5][6] A thunderstorm formed near Charlottesville, Virginia, following the watch's issuance, while another thunderstorm formed southwest of Fredericksburg, Virginia, around 19:00 UTC. These two storms became supercell thunderstorms as they tracked northeast along with the low-pressure area, producing several tornadoes including an F4 tornado in Culpeper County, Virginia, and an F3 tornado that moved across College Park, Maryland.[5]
The same storm soon produced a powerful, multiple-vortex F3 tornado in
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.[7] The storm continued on to Laurel, Maryland
, where F3 damage was also noted. The damage path from this storm was measured at 17.5 miles in length, and this tornado caused two deaths and 55 injuries, along with $101 million in property damage.
The two deaths at College Park were Colleen and Erin Marlatt, who died when their car was picked up by the tornado near the Easton Hall dormitory and thrown into a tree in a parking area.[8]
Tornado touched down in Rixeyville, blowing a tree onto a house. The tornado rapidly intensified into an F4 outside of town, flattening a well built three-story brick house. Debris from this house was found half a mile away. The tornado weakened to an F2 as it struck Jeffersonton, where extensive tree damage occurred and 4 churches were damaged. Four trailers were damaged and three others were destroyed in a trailer park as well. Continuing northeast of Jeffersonton, the tornado damaged the porch and roof of a house, damaged the sunroom of another house, and destroyed a garage. The roof was torn off of a barn before the tornado dissipated.[9]
A porch was ripped off of a house and deposited 50 feet away. Pieces of lumber from the house were hurled into nearby vehicles. Two other houses were damaged as well, and a small poolhouse was destroyed. Extensive tree and power line damage occurred as well.[9]
Tornado began in Virginia, damaging trees, power lines, and roofs in suburban areas. The tornado crossed into Washington, D.C., where 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 Smithsonian buildings and the Capitol. Tree branches were snapped and swirling debris was observed in that area before the tornado dissipated.[11][9]
2 deaths – Multiple vortex tornado moved through several DC suburbs. Major damage occurred in and around
University of Maryland sustained major damage, where 10 trailer classrooms were torn apart and one was thrown 200 yards. Many trees were snapped and uprooted on campus, and vehicles were thrown and flipped. A car carrying two young female students was hurled several hundred yards and over a high-rise 8-story dormitory building, resulting in two fatalities. Other buildings on campus sustained damage to roofs, windows, and trim. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Research Center sustained $41 million in damage. 861 homes, 560 vehicles, and 23 businesses were damaged or destroyed in Prince George County alone. Light debris was carried up to 60 miles away. Caused a total of $73 million in damage and injured 50 people.[9]
8 homes had their roofs torn off, and several others sustained lesser damage. Trees were downed, 38 cars were damaged at a dealership, and roof damage occurred at a middle school and an administration building. A store complex sustained significant structural damage.[12]
^Hart, John A. (September 24, 2001). "Tornado Watch Number 758". Norman, Oklahoma: Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Iowa Environment Mesonet.