2002 La Plata tornado

On the afternoon of April 28th, a supercell developed in central West Virginia and traveled across the Appalachian Mountains. After striking the town of Benedict, the twister crossed the Patuxent and into Calvert County at approximately 7:28 pm. Although weakened, widespread F1 to F2 damage still occurred. It then moved offshore into the Chesapeake Bay around 7:45 p.m., narrowly missing the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant to its south. While crossing the Chesapeake, a second satellite tornado joined it for most of its journey. This tornado, lasting an unusual 1 hour and 30 minutes, producing a 78-mile trail of devastation through southeast Maryland. This makes it one of the longest lasting and farthest traveling tornadoes outside tornado alley. Since records began in 1950, only one other violent tornado has been documented in the state, occurring in 1998. This tornado also had an incredibly fast average forward speed of , making it one of the fastest violent tornadoes on record. == Impact ==

. As the tornado traversed through the counties Charles, Calvert, Dorchester and Wicomico, many forest and towns were left in ruins. In La Plata, the structural damage was catastrophic. Approximately 65 percent of the entire downtown sustained heavy damage or complete destruction. In total, the tornado killed 5 people and injured some 122 others. It also inflicted $115 million in damage, making it the costliest Mid-Atlantic tornado on record. Entire utility poles were also snapped and thrown. Along Saint Marys Avenue, a brick and steel lumber yard building was demolished. "Heavy F4 damage" occurred just east of this. As the tornado entered Calvert County south of the Patuxent River Bridge, it struck a development of homes. Over half of them were damaged. Several homes were also destroyed. Along Hallowing Point Road, a home with no anchoring or foundation was picked up and thrown into a culvert, killing an elderly couple. Many other homes also lost their walls and roofs in western Calvert County. The tornado continued south of Prince Frederick before passing just north of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant where several large trees were leveled. Tornado damage in Calvert was rated at F1 to F2 intensity. At least 125 homes were damaged, with another 10 being destroyed. Many of the "slider homes" swept off their foundation were rated F1 to F3, with surveyors having to rely solely on the severity of the surrounding damage to determine ratings. == Aftermath ==

In the wake of the tornado, Gov. Parris N. Glendening declared a state of emergency in Charles, Calvert and Dorchester County. Schools and offices were also closed. The Red Cross helped place several families in nearby hotels. A memorial garden was also established in La Plata featuring benches that commemorate the victims of both the 1926 and 2002 tornadoes. This event is also largely responsible for the modern use of the Enhanced Fujita scale. == See also ==