Watch CBS News

Several Tornado Sightings On The Eastern Shore

CHESTERTOWN, Md. (WJZ)  -- There were at least five tornado sightings on the Eastern Shore early Thursday afternoon.

Mike Hellgren spoke with people who witnessed some funnel clouds first-hand.

The sun is shining in Chestertown now. There have been incredible variations in the weather at the Eastern Shore throughout the day.

A number of people were having lunch when they saw a stunning sight-- what truly looks like a funnel cloud that kept touching down just across the water in Chestertown.

What dozens of people saw just before 1 p.m. was the haunting image of what looks like a funnel cloud. The dark, familiar shape is an unfamiliar sight there.

"We just happened to look out the window over here and right across the river here, we saw a funnel cloud forming," said Jeff Conner, witness. "It kept trying to get close to the ground. Finally it touched the ground, and then all of a sudden we could see a huge debris field."

"First it would be like a little tail coming down, and it kept going up and coming down," said Lisa Powell. "Then you would see a bunch of debris on the bottom coming up from the fields on the other side, where it was coming from."

"I go to Kent County High School, and we had to go like right into the hallways," said Cheyenne Powell, tenth-grader. "We didn't even know what was going on. They just kind of shuffled us into the hallway. And we had to sit there for an hour against the lockers."

Many were snapping pictures on the bridge.

The path took what appears to be five tornadoes through parts of Kent and Queen Anne's counties.

"The pictures we got in here are from electronic iPhones or cell phones," said Emergency Management Director Chief Kevin Aftung. "The pictures are pretty impressive to look at. Most of the tornado pictures that we see appear to be in the air and not on the ground."

There was little to no damage reported as this wild weather ripped through the Eastern Shore.

"When it hit the ground, you could tell because it was a dark cloud where it was bursting up from the ground. It was pretty amazing," Conner said.

The National Weather Service will be in the Eastern Shore to determine whether one or more or no tornadoes really touched down. Those images that witnesses captured will likely be part of their investigation.

Click here for a slideshow of this week's severe weather.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is confirming that two tornadoes touched down in western Maryland.

The agency says an EF-1 tornado, with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph, hit near the Washington County town of Maugansville Tuesday evening.

The weather service says an EF-0 tornado, with maximum wind speeds of 75 mph, touched down that same night near the Frederick County town of Wolfsville.

No injuries were reported from the storms.

Click here for more information about those storms.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.