Today is a Memory we will Never Forget. The La Plata Tornado that struck 14 Years Today where one person was killed, over 120 injured and more than $114 Million in Damages. The Tornado was an F4.
The tornado first touched down in Marbury, Md., 12 miles west of La Plata, at 6:56 p.m. EDT before intensifying to an F3 as it approached the west side of La Plata. A second weaker tornado then formed just south of the first tornado and both tornadoes crossed the heart of La Plata between 7:02 p.m. EDT and 7:07 p.m. EDT, causing widespread F2 and F3 damage.
The worst damage was rated F5 with winds between 261 and 318 mph. However, the National Weather Service assessment team later determined some of that was due to flying debris from a nearby lumber company. Therefore, the final assessment rated the tornado as an F4 with winds 207 to 260 mph on the Fujita Scale. In total, 638 homes and 143 businesses were damaged. The twister racked up more than $100-million in damages.
Our Department served our community for more than 2 weeks, and a strong showing of support was given by our mutual aid partners. This is a day that will be remembered for an eternity.
