Damage Survey PNS (Max: EF0) from KLWX

[akr...@iastate.edu]

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Text Permalink: IEM Website (202603181905-KLWX-NOUS41-PNSLWX)

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Max EF Rating Below: (EF0)

Count by Rating:

EF-0 ⇒ 1

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696 
NOUS41 KLWX 181905
PNSLWX
DCZ001-MDZ003>006-008-011-013-014-016>018-501>510-VAZ025>031-
036>040-050-051-053>057-501>508-526-527-WVZ050>053-055-501>506-
190715-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
305 PM EDT Wed Mar 18 2026

...NWS Damage Survey for 03/16/26 New Windsor, MD Tornado...

.New Windsor, MD Tornado...

Rating:                 EF-0
Estimated Peak Wind:    80 mph
Path Length /statute/:  1.68 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   150 yards 
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/16/2026
Start Time:             12:02 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 SSE Linwood / Carroll County / MD
Start Lat/Lon:          39.53609 / -77.12975

End Date:               03/11/2026
End Time:               12:05 PM EDT
End Location:           2 ESE Linwood / Carroll County / MD
End Lat/Lon:            39.55740 / -77.11459

Survey Summary:

A line embedded supercell developed and tracked over north-central 
Maryland during the late morning into early afternoon hours on 
Monday, March 16, 2026. This storm was part of a much larger system 
that brought multiple rounds of severe weather to much of the 
eastern United States.

Rotation was evident within the storm around 2000 to 3000 feet above 
ground on the KLWX WSR-88D radar, prompting a Tornado Warning as the 
storm moved from Frederick into Carroll County. The FAA TDWR TBWI 
showed this rotation quickly strengthen and lower to below 2000 feet 
just to the southeast of the mid-level mesocyclone being sampled by 
the KLWX WSR-88D. The tightened lower-level rotation persisted on 
TBWI for 1 to 2 minutes after the mid-level rotation on KLWX had 
notably weakened.

It was beneath the tightening low-level rotation at around 12:02 PM 
EDT that the first evidence of tornadic damage was found. Several 
trees in a weakened state just southeast of the intersection of 
Hawks Hill Road and Beth Way snapped near the trunk, and fell toward 
the east, west, and north. The parent storm motion was northeast. 
The trees that fell were only around 100 feet apart at most, with an 
undisturbed landscape around it indicating an initially very narrow 
vortex perhaps no larger than about 25 to 50 yards in width.

The tornado then crossed through open fields, lifting the south end 
of a long irrigation system and rolling it about 100 feet toward the 
north just east of Winters Church Road.

After this, the circulation continued northeastward crossing several 
more fields and groves of trees, as well as Little Pipe Creek. The 
next visible and accessible damage was noted as the tornado 
approached and crossed MD-75 Green Valley Road near the intersection 
with MD-84 Union Bridge Road. Here, a couple dozen trees fell in 
opposing directions (southeast, northeast, east, northwest, and 
north). One large tree toppled onto power lines taking down a power 
pole and briefly trapping a motorist between the downed wires, pole, 
and downed trees. Several large pine trees at the intersection had 
their tops sheared off, falling toward the north, northeast, and 
east. Two trees on a hill just east of Mill Dale Lane fell toward 
the north-northwest, likely just outside the circulation but in its 
inflow as it passed across MD-84 Union Bridge Road. Meanwhile, an 
outbuilding just to the southwest of MD-75 Green Valley Road 
suffered a near total roof collapse, with the west-northwest facing 
walls partially collapsed inward. Similar to the trees off Mill Dale 
Lane, this outbuilding may have been just outside the tornadic 
circulation, with the damage a result of inflow winds into the 
vortex as it passed. It is at this point where the tornado reached 
its largest and strongest, with an estimated path width of 150 yards 
and peak winds of 80 mph. Despite the extent of the damage, only 
about one-third of the trees in its path at this point sustained 
visible damage, with no other visible damage to other outbuildings 
or the farmhouse at the nearby farm.

A video taken from the Carroll County Emergency Operations Center 
showed a swiftly rotating lowering, likely the tornado in progress 
as it approached and crossed the intersection of MD-75 Green Valley 
Road and MD-84 Union Bridge Road, just northwest of their facility. 
Although trees in the foreground obstructed the view and could not 
confirm ground contact, the video was directly coincident with radar 
and the observed (convergent) damage.

A few trees had their tops snapped off just northeast of MD-84 Union 
Bridge Road, but no visible damage was noted beyond this point. It 
is possible, based on the rotation signature on TBWI, that the 
tornado could have persisted for up to another mile over open 
fields, but the path length in this survey can only confidently 
conclude a path up to this point, approximately 1.68 miles in length.

The National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast 
Office thanks Carroll County Office of Emergency Management for 
their assistance. Additionally, thanks to the trained spotters, 
media, and public that sent in reports of damage.

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the 
following categories:

EF0.........65 to 85 mph
EF1.........86 to 110 mph
EF2.........111 to 135 mph
EF3.........136 to 165 mph
EF4.........166 to 200 mph
EF5.........>200 mph

$$

DHOF