Updates regarding Monday evening’s storm:
From Councilman David Marks: “We have arranged for the Towson Y to allow anyone without power to use their hot showers. Many thanks once again to the Y for their generosity. I will post any updates from BGE that I receive.”
From the county: Towson neighborhoods are recovering this morning from yesterday’s short-lived but severe thunderstorm that felled large tree branches, brought down power lines and left thousands without power.
The storm tore through Baltimore County around 5 p.m., following a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning, in effect until 5:30 p.m. The Towson area took the brunt of the storm; damage also was reported in Pikesville. Other areas of the county were impacted little, if at all.
The storm brought swirling winds and driving rains. In Towson, BCoFD crews responded to reports of fallen trees and branches that blocked roads, and several incidents involving trees that fell on houses.
The storm caused numerous power lines to fall across roadways. West Joppa Road remains closed this morning while BGE crews repair the lines. Motorists should avoid this area.
Some traffic lights in Towson remain out of service; motorists should use caution at these intersections.
At the height of the storm, 29,000 households were without power due to the weather. That number had dropped to about 4,000 this morning.
No injuries are reported.
Emergency Management officials said this storm illustrates how quickly summer thunderstorms can evolve into destructive events, and how difficult it is to predict exactly where such storms — which can be isolated and small in scope — will hit.
Residents should:
- Be prepared at all times for power outages. Battery-powered flashlights and lanterns are a “must.”
- Maintain large trees, especially aging trees, to reduce the risk of fallen branches and uprooting.
- Get indoors, if possible, when thunderstorms threatens and especially following a severe thunderstorm warning.
- Motorists should never attempt to drive through standing water and, if possible, should pull over during violent storms such as yesterday’s.
- Avoid trees, water and landline phones to reduce the risk of electrocution and injury during a lightning strike.
Additional information about severe thunderstorms is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
I’m wondering if a localized tornado, EF1 or close to, went through. Have seen more than 30 large trees down in West Towson alone, and others snapped in half or by a third. Was driving (trying to) after the storm, and a tree blocked all southbound lanes of Charles Street north of Towsontown Blvd; and for hours across both lanes of Kenilworth, as well as numerous side streets. Thanks for covering this. A lot of these trees were hollowed out and dangerous. Seems to be one thing after another weatherwise lately…