Tornado Touches Down in Darlington; Destroys Home and Crops

From Harford County Government:

Tornado Causes Property Damage in Darlington

Home, outbuilding and crops destroyed or damaged

(Forest Hill, MD) – – The Harford County Department of Emergency Services, in cooperation with the National Weather Service from Sterling, Virginia investigated a severe weather event which passed through the Darlington area of Harford County early Tuesday morning. The storm destroyed a wood-framed outbuilding, caused significant damage to a single family home and destroyed more than an acre of corn to two properties in the 1200 and 1300 block of Stafford Road.

According to the National Weather Service, the storm passed through northern Harford County shortly after midnight, Tuesday, July 23, 2013. The NWS announced late Tuesday evening that an EFO tornado caused the damage. The tornado is believed to have touched down at 12:12 a.m. with estimated winds of 80 mph. National Weather Service officials estimate the path of the tornado to have been 100 yards wide and approximately eight-tenths of a mile long.

No deaths or injuries were reported from the storm and tornado. Additionally, at this time, there is no estimate of the damage to the properties at 1247 and 1320 Stafford Road.

“We were fortunate this early morning storm and tornado did not result in serious injuries or fatalities”, said Russell J. Strickland, Director of the Department of Emergency Service. “However, with summer storms occurring more frequently this is an excellent opportunity for the public to review storm preparedness plans and recommendations for such severe weather events,” Strickland noted.

For further information regarding emergency preparedness and storms, visit the Harford County Department of Emergency Services website at www.harfordpublicsafety.org and click on the “Surviving the Storm” link.