La Plata, Maryland, tornado outbreak of April 28, 2002 Tornado outbreak of April 28, 2002 La Plata, Maryland, tornado outbreak April 28, 2002

"A violent tornado, rated F4 on the Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale (see appendix A), moved across southern Maryland and devastated the town of La Plata. Tornadoes along the Atlantic coast are not common, and tornadoes of this magnitude are extremely rare. Only six F4 tornadoes have occurred farther north and east of the La Plata storm: Worchester, Massachusetts - 1953; New York/Massachusetts - 1973; Windsor Locks, Connecticut - 1979; five counties in New York - 1989; New Haven, Connecticut - 1989; North Egremont, Massachusetts - 1995. None were as close to the coast. The tornado traveled across the Chesapeake Bay almost to the Atlantic. Due to the magnitude and rarity of this event in this part of the country, a service assessment team was formed to examine the warning and forecast services provided by the National Weather Service (NWS) to emergency managers, government agencies, and the public in southern Maryland. Service assessments provide a valuable contribution to our ongoing efforts to improve the quality and timeliness of our products and services for the protection of life and property. Findings and recommendations from this assessment will improve techniques, products, and services"--Preface. "September 2002." Also available online in PDF via the Nation Weather Service's website and via the NOAA Central Library. 2002 NWS (National Weather Service) Library Public Domain 1931