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Hurricane Ida: Tornado slams Annapolis, ‘scary’ images of damage surface online

Maryland cities of Annapolis and Edgewater hit by tornadoes as a result of Tropical Depression Ida, social media users capture the damage on video

In the era of iPhones and Twitter, capturing real-time news has never been easier. That's exactly what residents of Annapolis did on September 1, as a tornado ripped through their city. As Tropical Depression Ida hit Maryland, extreme weather led to the formation of several tornados in the state. Numerous users in the two cities quickly uploaded footage of the phenomenon, that thankfully doesn't appear to have taken any lives.

One of the most severe storms to batter the East Coast, Hurricane Ida led to warnings of storm surges up to 12 feet in Louisiana, the state worst affected by Ida. On September 1, areal images by NOAA's National Geodetic Survey went viral, showing the streets of Louisiana before and after the hurricane. In the aftermath of the devastating hurricane, New Jersey's Mullica Hill also witnessed a devastating tornado, that destroyed around nine homes in the area. 

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The tornado in Annapolis just passed hours ago, at the time of publication. News of the damage and destruction is still coming in, so the scale of the disaster is not yet completely known. So far, there have been no reports of death, with most people choosing to shelter while the tornado appeared. A handful of other enterprising people though, decided to brave the weather and go after the tornado, shooting videos that are now viral on social media.

Annapolis' tornado damage

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado at around 2.15 pm, as the remnants of Ida made their way through Maryland. Anne Arundel County was reportedly hit by around four tornadoes, damaging around 100 houses in total. The most severe damage though appeared to be in Annapolis. Apart from damages to buildings and power outages, Annapolis first responders are also battling several gas leaks. Around 2,500 houses are now without power. 

Fort Howard in Edgemere, in Baltimore County also reportedly experienced a tornado at around 2.51 pm. We are yet to get any reports on the damage in that area. At 2.30 pm, a tornado hit Parole in northeastern Anne Arundel County, damaging trees and power lines. The fourth hit Edgewater, where again the damage is yet to be ascertained. CBS Local reported that much of central and eastern Maryland is under a tornado watch until 7 pm, August 1. Flash floods are also possible, as heavy rainfall is expected to lash the state all day. 

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan confirmed, "substantial damage and trees down from Central Avenue in Edgewater to West Street in Annapolis." He also noted no injuries are yet to be reported while urging Marylanders to take all warnings "seriously". His warning though appeared to come a bit late as many daring people already braved the weather to record the tornado, and post it on social media.

'crazy video' of tornado amongst the many captured

"Incredible video coming from one of our viewers Laura Martien who took cover at Ledos in Edgewater, Md., after capturing a possible tornado touching down near Annapolis," one CBS reported tweeted. One meteorologist, standing outdoors recorded a video and tweeted, "Possible tornado in Annapolis, Md." One person tweeted a video saying, "This is so scary. Shot from West Street in Annapolis. Stay safe my fellow Annapolitans!"

One daring user went extremely close to shoot a video and said, "Hey guys wanna see a tornado in Annapolis? It’s very cute and small." One person managed to record the "Tornado in Edgewater".  Another CBS journalist tweeted, "CRAZY VIDEO my friend in Annapolis, Maryland sent me of a tornado this afternoon. Some homes sustained major damage. This is why you should ALWAYS take shelter during a tornado warning."

After the tornadoes struck, users were also quick to upload footage of the destruction. The outskirts of Annapolis is reportedly closed, as first responders are rushing to clean up downed electric wires, trees, and other debris. West Street will reportedly remain closed till September 2 from Chinquapin Round Road past Gibraltar Avenue, due to the severe damage. Given the severity, experts predict the tornado was an EF-3, one of the strongest to hit the area since an EF-4 hit La Plata in 2002.