OAKLAND — Two tornadoes touched down within minutes of each other Saturday in Garrett County.
The National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia, said an EF-1 tornado touched down between Asher Glade and Selbysville around 7:55 p.m. It was on the ground for about 3 miles and was the width of one and a half football fields.
The rankings on the Enhanced Fujita Scale start with 0, which produces similar damage to a strong gale and end at 5, which causes incredible damage.
The second tornado, also an EF-1, was intermittently on the ground for 3 miles between Friendsville and Accident. It was also one and a half football fields in width and initially touched down at 8:09 p.m., according to the weather service.
The two tornadoes were part of a storm system that produced severe thunderstorms that moved southeast from the Pittsburgh area.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh confirmed an EF-2 tornado with maximum winds of 118 mph in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Tornadoes were also confirmed in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and Preston County, West Virginia.
Before Saturday’s storms, the most recent confirmed tornado in Garrett County was June 2, 1998. That tornado began in nearby Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and pushed over the border to eastern Garrett County, hitting Finzel as an F-2 tornado on the Fujita Scale. It eventually crossed into Frostburg as an F-3 tornado.
The Enhanced Fujita Scale replaced the Fujita Scale in 2007, so that is the reason for the discrepancy of tornado scales between Saturday’s tornado and the June 2, 1998 tornado.