Tornado Confirmed In Mount Airy: National Weather Service

CARROLL COUNTY, MD — A shopping center in Mount Airy sustained storm damage Friday night during a burst of severe weather that the National Weather Service confirmed was a tornado. At its peak intensity, the storm packed 100 mph winds and snapped trees and utility poles and caused a silo to collapse.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office and emergency personnel provided drone reconnaissance that assisted the National Weather Service with its survey of the damage, weather authorities reported.

Initially, the tornado touched down in northwest Howard County at 8:20 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, according to the National Weather Service. It arrived 1 mile south of Interstate 70, then moved north into Carroll County, where multiple trees were downed around Pheasant Ridge.

Here is a summary of the damage from the National Weather Service:

• Canopy at High's store was partly torn off
• TJ Maxx roof was lifted up and partly removed
• Trees down behind the Twin Arch Shopping Center near the water tower
• Silo destroyed and roofs partly blown off outbuildings at Knill's Farm Market
• Power poles snapped on Watersville Road (meriting the 100 mph wind estimate)
• Five pine trees snapped at a residence on Watersville Road
• Minor structural damage at several homes on Arrowood Circle
• Multiple hardwood trees snapped in the 6000 block of Runkles Road
• Trees uprooted east of Runkles Road on Gillis Falls Road

Just spoke to the couple who shared this video with @wjz of what they believe was a tornado that touched down at this TJ Maxx in Mt. Airy. They are okay. The say there was pretty extensive damage. pic.twitter.com/VRhoFFmDAQ
— George Solis (@GeorgeSolisWJZ) November 3, 2018

Part of the roof at TJ Maxx in the Twin Arch Shopping Center caved in from water damage before 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, and trees fell throughout surrounding communities, including Pheasant Ridge in Mount Airy, the Carroll County Times reported.

A resident in a townhouse community near Twin Arch Shopping Center said neighbors lost trees, shingles and siding.

"Strong winds and heavy rain caused damage to trees and power lines in southern Carroll County," the Carroll County Sheriff's Office reported before midnight on Friday, Nov. 2. "Do not drive over power lines."

• 2 Killed In Amazon Building Collapse Amid Storm: Report
• Storm Blows Roofs Off Dundalk Apartment Buildings: Officials

About 40 miles southeast of Mt. Airy, officials said there was a partial building collapse at the Amazon fulfillment center in southeast Baltimore City, and roofs were blown off apartment buildings in Dundalk.

Main photo courtesy of town of Mt. Airy.