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Flash Flood in Washington County, Maryland

Flash Flood May 15, 2018 · Washington County, Maryland

$4.6M
Damage as recorded

Where the report was made, with tornadoes recorded within 15 miles over the years.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Widespread and significant flooding ongoing throughout Southeastern Washington County as a result of torrential rainfall. Numerous roads closed, water rescues ongoing, partial washouts of roads, and water inside homes.

The wider storm

A cold front slowly sagged southward through Pennsylvania during the afternoon hours of May 15th. A line of storms spread ahead of this front, causing a widespread 1-3 inches of rain across North Central and Northeast Maryland. The western end of this line stalled, producing 3-6 inches of rain in a relatively short period of time in Frederick and extreme southeastern Washington Counties, prompting numerous water rescues and causing somewhat significant damage. The front stalled, and the next evening (May 16th), a second round of extreme rainfall struck much of the same area, with 3-6 inches of rain observed again in Frederick and southeastern Washington Counties. Renewed flooding ensued which continued into the morning hours of May 17th.

Began near Gapland (39.4035, -77.6670).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 758068. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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