On this date in 2002, one of the most violent and unusual tornadoes in Mid-Atlantic history tore through Southern Maryland, devastating the town of La Plata and leaving a lasting mark on the DC region’s weather history. The storm was remarkable not only for its intensity, but for how out of place it seemed, more typical of the Plains than the DC area.
The tornado touched down at about 7:02 p.m. and rapidly intensified as it approached La Plata. It ultimately reached F4 strength on the 0-to-5 Fujita scale, with winds estimated near 260 mph at peak intensity. In total, five people were killed and more than 120 were injured, while damage exceeded $100 million.
What made the storm especially destructive was its speed and longevity. The tornado remained on the ground for roughly 90 minutes, carving a path nearly 70 miles long across Charles and Calvert counties and beyond. Moving at 45 to 55 mph, it gave residents little time to react. Entire neighborhoods were devastated in seconds.
The worst damage occurred in and around downtown La Plata, where entire blocks were reduced to rubble. Buildings along the Route 301 corridor, including shops, offices and homes, were heavily damaged or destroyed. Some houses were completely swept from their foundations, and trees were stripped of bark, a sign of extreme winds.
Debris was carried extraordinary distances; in one striking example, bank documents from La Plata were found some 70 miles away in Delaware.
The storm unleashed massive hailstones, reaching the size of baseballs and softballs, shattering windshields.
Meteorologically, the storm formed from a powerful supercell that developed west of the region and tracked eastward across the Appalachians. As it encountered warm, humid air over southern Maryland, it intensified rapidly. A textbook setup for twisters, including high amounts of instability and wind shear, was unusually favorable for a violent tornado in this part of the country.
The La Plata tornado stands as the strongest ever documented in the DC region and one of the most powerful to strike the eastern United States.
Here are a number of past articles about the storm:
- From 2022: 20 years after La Plata disaster, D.C. area’s tornado risk has grown
- From 2017: Remembering the La Plata tornado, 15 years later
- From 2005: Three Years After the Tornado, La Plata Throws a Party
- From 2004: 2 Years After Tornado, La Plata Looks Ahead
- From 2002: Deadly Tornado Hits Southern Maryland and Not La Plata’s First or Worst
This date is also the date of D.C.'s latest measurable snow on record. That happened in 1898 when 0.5 inches accumulated.
Here are other notables from this day:
- Average high: 72
- Average low: 53
- Record high: 92 (1957)
- Record low: 33 (1898)
- Record rainfall: 1.53 inches (2023)
- Record snowfall: 0.5 inches (1898)
