Greater Baltimore appeared to dodge the worst as a line of severe storms crossed the eastern United States on Monday, though the potential for damaging winds and severe thunderstorms remained into the evening.
The National Weather Service lifted a tornado watch for much of Maryland around 3:35 p.m. Monday, but wind advisories remained in place across the state through midnight, said Luis Rosa, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Baltimore/Washington office.
Rosa said the weather service anticipated wind gusts of 45 mph to 55 mph in the region, which would be at their worst between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The storms prompted closures across the state and disrupted travel, including at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where 165 flights were canceled and more than 200 experienced delays, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. BWI typically handles more than 650 domestic and international flights a day.
Rains intensified, temperatures plunged and winds picked up in parts of Baltimore late Monday. BGE was reporting 214 outages affecting 14,000 customers in the Baltimore region shortly after 10 p.m.
Baltimore City and the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Howard, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s were placed under a severe thunderstorm warning until 9:45 p.m. Late Monday, the NWS briefly issued a tornado warning for parts of Caroline, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties before the threat moved into Delaware.
Several counties remained under a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight, according to the NWS.
In a statement Monday night, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott encouraged residents to remain cautious by preparing an emergency kit, staying indoors, bringing outdoor furniture and other potential airborne items inside and avoiding flooded areas.
With a cold front causing temperatures to plunge overnight from a high of 65 degrees Monday to below freezing, Scott’s Office of Homeless Services issued a Code Purple from 10 a.m. Monday through 9 a.m. Wednesday.
A coastal flooding advisory remained in effect until 11 p.m. Monday for Anne Arundel County. The weather service said the parking lot at City Dock in Annapolis was already experiencing flooding. Southeastern Harford County was also under a coastal flooding advisory until midnight.
WJZ reported that Baltimore experienced some local flooding, such as at the foot of Thames Street in Fells Point.
“We’re still monitoring the threat of another storm later this evening,” said Connor Belak, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Baltimore/Washington office, on Monday afternoon.
Depending on how the system evolves, Belak said, those in Central Maryland could anticipate severe thunderstorm warnings or tornado watches between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Forecasters previously issued brief tornado warnings for parts of Montgomery, Carroll, Frederick and Howard counties Monday afternoon. WBAL-TV reported that a barn was severely damaged by severe weather in a part of Carroll County under a tornado warning, and that a viewer had spotted a possible funnel cloud in Howard County around noon.
The weather service had warned of severe thunderstorms for much of Central Maryland, saying wind gusts of up to 80 mph could knock down trees and cause power outages.
Cody Ledbetter, another meteorologist with the weather service’s Baltimore/Washington office, said earlier that severe weather was expected to start hitting the state by mid-Monday afternoon. Another round of storms was expected to hit the region Monday evening, he said.
Areas near Washington, D.C., were at a moderate risk of severe storms, according to the weather service’s Storm Prediction Center, while Baltimore was at an enhanced risk.
Officials urged caution
Gov. Wes Moore on Sunday declared a State of Preparedness ahead of the storms. He urged Marylanders to have an emergency kit ready and keep devices charged in case of power outages. Several school systems dismissed students early on Monday.
Highway and transportation officials asked drivers to be cautious, as conditions can change rapidly during storms.
Spring is the peak of severe weather season in the state, Ledbetter said, adding that it’s unusual to see tornadoes or damaging winds this time of the year.
Marylanders should make sure to have multiple ways to get weather alerts, he said.
“It’s a particularly concerning day for severe weather,” he said.
Transportation woes
The possibility of severe weather also affected travel plans Monday.
FlightAware showed 220 delays and over 160 flight cancellations at BWI as of 9:30 p.m. Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration placed BWI at a ground stop until 4:30 p.m. due to the possibility of thunderstorms.
The impacts were felt nationwide. The flight tracking service reported late Monday there were more than 4,500 U.S. flights canceled Monday and more than 11,200 delayed.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, men’s basketball team was supposed to fly to Dayton, Ohio, Monday at noon for its first NCAA bid since 2018. The Retrievers will face Howard University in the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, but delays at BWI kept the team grounded aboard an Allegiant Air jet for longer than expected. The Retrievers left Maryland four hours behind schedule.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport also faced a ground delay, with FAA officials warning of takeoff delays for the rest of Monday due to winds. FlightAware showed about 300 flight cancellations and over 300 delays at Reagan National on Monday.
The Maryland Transit Administration announced additional capacity on the MARC Penn Line Monday afternoon in anticipation of people leaving work early due to the severe weather. On the MARC Camden Line, Trains 855 and 856 didn’t operate, but Train 848 extended its services past Dorsey to St. Denis and Camden Yards stations, officials said.
MTA officials alerted commuters of speed restrictions and up to 25-minute delays amid tornado watches and high-wind warnings across the Baltimore region.
Outside of Baltimore, the Regional Transportation Agency, which serves Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George’s counties, shared on social media that Routes 502, 505 and 407 would experience reduced service.
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