Severe Weather and Tornadoes - Washington Area
This page is an excerpt from the book Washington Weather
A tornado touches ground near the Washington Monument, September 24, 2001. This tornado originated near Fort Belvoir, Virginia then skipped through Franconia and Alexandria before moving into Washington. It alternated between F0 and F1 strength, with maximum winds between 50 and 100 mph. Minor damage to trees and homes occurred along its path. It ascended and remained aloft over much of D.C., but would later touch down in Maryland and reach F3 force as it moved through College Park.
Michael Shore
A tornado and explosion (or lightning flash) silhouettes Byrd Stadium at the University of Maryland, September 24, 2001. The tornado, shown here at F3 strength, moved through the University of Maryland in College Park. Maximum winds were estimated between 175 to 200 mph. There were two fatalities and over 50 injuries associated with the tornado.
Dr. Ming-Ying Wei
The tornado that devastated La Plata, Maryland tracks through southern Calvert County, April 28, 2002. The tornado damaged or destroyed 860 homes and 194 businesses in southern Maryland.
A hook echo appears on WJLA’s doppler radar, indicating the likelihood of a tornado, April 28, 2002. The fishhook shape is caused as precipitation is wrapped in the intense rotation. Dopplar radar, first used for meteorological measurements in the 1950's, has become a widely used tool in forecasting and analyzing the weather. WJLA
Waterspout on the Miles River near Saint Michael's, Maryland. It later
made landfall as an F1 tornado, downing trees and flipping a boat. NWS
Book Orders
Click here for a summary of tornadoes in the Middle Atlantic 
The La Plata Tornado of April 28, 2002
The College Park Tornado of September 24, 2001