Video Shows Waterspout Come Ashore Before Destroying Several Homes on Maryland Island
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A waterspout hit a Maryland island Thursday evening, destroying several homes as a severe weather system moved through the area.
Ewell Fire Department President Robert Jones said that "multiple tornadoes and waterspouts" knocked out houses and power lines after the waterspout — defined as "a whirling column of air and water mist," according to the National Ocean Service — came ashore on Smith Island, according to Chesapeake Bay Magazine.
Jones said that although there were "some minor injuries" overall nobody was "badly hurt," according to the outlet.
"I would have never imagined this to happen here," Jones remarked.
According to the National Ocean Service, "tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water" and "are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning."
Just spoke to Somerset County Sheriff Ron Howard regarding the situation on Smith Island following last night's storm. Damage assessment teams are on the ground. We've offered him the full resources of the state to assist with the response.
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) August 5, 2022
In a video taken by Amy and Daniel Somers, debris can be seen swirling in the air, as the waterspout makes landfall, and an onlooker could be heard saying, "Oh no!
"That is a huge waterspout!" another onlooker remarked in a video shared by Fox Weather. "Look how big that is! It's just come across the island…and it's getting ready to hit the channel."
Speaking of the devastation, Daniel Somers told Chesapeake Bay Magazine that the storm "took the third story off an Airbnb and destroyed the house next to it."
"Last night, a severe weather system swept across our state and brought heavy rain, flash flooding, and damaging wind gusts," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan wrote in a statement shared on social media Friday.
Hogan went on to note that "damage assessment teams" are also on the ground in Smith Island, and officials have "offered the full resources of the state to assist with the response."
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Smith Island, located about 12 miles from the mainland, is home to an estimated 200 residents, The Washington Post reported, and is made up of three island communities on the border of Maryland and Virginia waters.
The intense storm also impacted Baltimore, where an estimated 24,000 Baltimore Gas and Electric customers were still without power early Friday morning, according to CBS affiliate WJZ.
Strong storms impacted areas throughout our service area, including Baltimore, shown here. We have restored more than 50,000 customers and we continue to work around the clock to restore the remaining impacted customers as safely and quickly as possible.
— BGE (@MyBGE) August 5, 2022
About 2 to 4 inches of rain fell in a short period of time over the area, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Downed trees took the brunt of the storm's force, which also flooded streets in the metro area, according to NBC affiliate WBAL.
An estimated 65 trees were down, the station said, 18 of which were blocking roads, while numerous cars were partially submerged in flood waters.
