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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
424 PM EDT MON JUN 15 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 06/14/2026 THUNDERSTORM WIND EVENT
OVERVIEW:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED WIND DAMAGE
ASSOCIATED WITH A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR LIBERTYTOWN, MD
WAS FROM STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS.
SURVEY SUMMARY:
ON JUNE 15, 2026, A SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE CONDUCTED A FORMAL
STORM ASSESSMENT IN FREDERICK COUNTY, MARYLAND. THE OBJECTIVE OF
THE FIELD SURVEY WAS TO ANALYZE THE THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE THAT
OCCURRED DURING THE EVENING OF SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2026. THE EVENT
BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 PM EDT, WHEN A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS
INITIATED IN CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. THIS
CONVECTIVE SYSTEM TRACKED CONTINUOUSLY NORTHEASTWARD INTO
FREDERICK COUNTY, MARYLAND, WHILE EXHIBITING STEADY
INTENSIFICATION.
AS THE STORM PROGRESSED EAST OF LIBERTYTOWN, MARYLAND, IT
GENERATED A LOCALIZED ZONE OF SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL AND TREE
DAMAGE. THE MOST SEVERE IMPACTS WERE CONCENTRATED WITHIN THE 9000
BLOCK OF BESSIE CLEMSON ROAD. BASED ON THE DEGREE OF DAMAGE
OBSERVED, PEAK WIND VELOCITIES IN THIS SPECIFIC CORRIDOR WERE
ESTIMATED UP TO 80 MPH. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE INCLUDED
NUMEROUS SNAPPED AND UPROOTED SOFT AND HARDWOOD TREES, ALONGSIDE
THE TOTAL WALL COLLAPSE OF A BARN STRUCTURE.
ANALYSIS OF THE DEBRIS FIELD AND FALLEN VEGETATION REVEALED A
STRICTLY UNIDIRECTIONAL DAMAGE PATTERN. THIS UNIFORM ORIENTATION
ALIGNED PRECISELY WITH THE FORWARD MOTION OF THE STORM, CONFIRMING
THE ABSENCE OF ROTATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. THEREFORE, THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON WEATHER FORECAST
OFFICE HAS CLASSIFIED THE DESTRUCTION AS A STRAIGHT-LINE WIND
EVENT DRIVEN BY DOWNBURST WINDS.
OUTSIDE OF THE IMMEDIATE BESSIE CLEMSON ROAD IMPACT ZONE, THE
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED SPORADIC WIND DAMAGE ACROSS THE BROADER
COUNTY. THESE WIDESPREAD CONVECTIVE WIND GUSTS WERE ESTIMATED TO
RANGE FROM 60 TO 80 MPH WITH ALL ASSOCIATED DAMAGE MATCHING THE
DIRECTIONAL TRAJECTORY OF THE STORM.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON OFFICE COMPILED
THESE FINDING WITH THE VITAL SUPPORT OF THE FREDERICK COUNTY
DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE DIVISION OF FIRE AND
RESCUE SERVICES, WHOSE LOCAL ASSISTANCE PROVED ESSENTIAL TO
COMPLETING THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS.
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.
AVS/JMG
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