F1 Tornado — Baltimore, Maryland

1994-11-01 · Baltimore, Maryland

Event narrative

Two devastating tornadoes ripped through working-class neighborhoods in central Baltimore City, causing upwards of $3 million in damage to 150 buildings. Up to 200 families were displaced by the storms. Although the damaged neighborhoods were not declared federal disaster areas, FEMA officials were helping the city's Department of Housing and Community Development prepare applications for federal aid from HUD. The West-Central tornado began near the intersection of Edmonston Ave. and Monroe St, and moved northeast, just past the Harlem Park Elementary School. The storm continued down Mosher Street before lifting at Mason Avenue a few blocks west of Interstate 83. Many roofs were blown off row houses in the Harlem Park area. Windows were blown out, and some building sides were blown down. The East-Central tornado began near the intersection of Federal Street and Greenmount along the west side of Greenmount Cemetary. The tornado travelled east-northeast across Aisquith Street and the 1200 block of North Avenue, where the heaviest damage of all the storms was realized. The tornado continued to Harford Road before lifting just west of Clifton Park. Similar damage, to the upper floors and roofs of row houses, occurred with this tornado. Amazingly, no one was injured or killed, perhaps since the most affected were either at work or school. A few eyewitness claim they saw a funnel cloud prior to damage occurrence.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 10327115. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.