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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
444 PM EDT Sat Nov 3 2018

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR CITY OF BALTIMORE AND BALTIMORE COUNTY 
TORNADO EVENT ON 2 NOVEMBER 2018...

.City of Baltimore and Baltimore County EF-1...

Start Location...Baltimore MD
End Location...Dundalk in Baltimore County MD
Date...November 2, 2018
Estimated Time...9:42 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF-1
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...105 mph
Maximum Path Width...150 yards
Path Length...2.5 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon...39.2700/-76.5552
Ending Lat/Lon...39.2740/-76.5080
* Fatalities...2
* Injuries...1

...Summary...
A tornado touched down in Baltimore City at 9:42 PM EST on 
Friday evening November 2, 2018. Initial damage was to a tractor 
trailer which was blown over on Interstate 95 just north the Fort 
McHenry tunnel, and a fence line blown over on South Newkirk 
Street. From there the tornado tracked east as it moved nearly 
parallel to Holabird Avenue. It blew in large garage doors on 
both sides of the building at Flexi-Van Leasing facility. 

As it moved east and impacted the north building of the Amazon 
sorting facility, the tornado reached peak intensity of 
approximately 105 mph which supports the rating of EF-1. There it 
blew off the roof of a portion of the building, including iron 
rafters. With the loss of the roof, the eight inch concrete wall 
panels pushed in and collapsed into the building towards the north 
end of the west wall. Two fatalities occurred inside the building 
with the wall collapse. About a dozen truck trailers were pushed 
over, moved, or rolled by the wind. Two of the trailers were noted
to have been blown in an opposite direction of the wind that 
toppled the wall. Several light stanchions and signs were blown 
over. Several car windows were blown out by flying debris.

The tornado continued east along the south side of Holabird Ave., 
uprooting several large trees, and snapping dozens of large tree 
branches. Damage along the entire path was mainly convergent, and 
while much of the damage was from west-southwest to east-northeast, 
there were several notable exceptions of damage in differing
directions. An eyewitness fire fighter outside the Baltimore City 
Fire Department Engine 50 firehouse in the area saw the swirling 
debris and the funnel cloud as it passed. The tornado lifted as it 
reached the intersection with Dundalk Avenue.

After it initially lifted, the tornado briefly touched down one 
last time on the Holabird East Apartments on 4 Georges Ct in 
Dundalk, in adjacent Baltimore County. The northeast building in 
the complex was unroofed entirely. The strong southwest wind hit 
the building broadside and lifted the roof off the building. No 
other damage was noted in the area. A resident reported swirling 
winds with the event.

The National Weather Service extends its gratitude to the Baltimore 
City Fire Department, the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management,
and the Baltimore County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency 
Management for their assistance with the damage survey.

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

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

* The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS
Storm Data.

$$