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Record-Breaking Number Of Tornadoes Hit Mid-Atlantic This Year

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's been an epic year when it comes to tornadoes across the nation and in our region. The National Weather Service has confirmed that several twisters touched down in Virginia last week.

Gigi Barnett has more.

Without any notice, they can strike.

"I have never seen one develop in front of my eyes like that before," said one woman.

So far this year, twisters have touched down in near-record breaking numbers. Just last week in Virginia, folks there saw seven tornadoes that left behind hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. All were confirmed by the National Weather Service.

It happened in Ocean City last month, when a twister ripped through the resort town.

"The winds were like, whoosh, and furniture was slamming against everything," said a man.

In the Maryland/Virginia region alone, more than 50 twisters have touched ground this year. It's the second most active year on record. In 2004, 87 tornadoes swept through the area.

"Over the whole country, this has been a record-shattering year," said Meteorologist Bernadette Woods.

Woods says the storms are stronger than average, too. The increased tornadic activity comes from a perfect combination of weather patterns nationwide.

"It was a clash of really cold air from the north, extremely warm air from the south and it just came together the right away," Woods said.

To put this in perspective, this year, Maryland and Virginia have had more twisters than Kansas and just as many as Oklahoma.

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