Thunderstorms rumbled across Central Maryland yesterday, and a tornado struck Talbot County, damaging buildings and homes.
A second possible tornado, which the National Weather Service had not confirmed last night, was reported in Prince George's County.
The storm was part of a front that drenched the Midwest and spawned about 40 tornadoes in Tennessee and several more in Missouri, Texas and Kentucky.
Accompanied by lightning and strong winds, rain started falling in the Baltimore area about 2 p.m.
The storm knocked out power to about 9,600 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers -- about 5,400 in Anne Arundel County, about 2,000 each in Howard and Harford counties, and the rest scattered. At 11 p.m. yesterday, only 97 people in Anne Arundel were without power, and BGE officials expected service to be restored by 3 a.m. today.
The worst damage occurred south of Baltimore. A possible tornado was sighted along U.S. 50 near Cheverly in Prince George's about 2:45 p.m.
"We have fairly significant damage in a four-square-block area," said Pete Piringer, a Prince George's Fire Department spokesman.
Along a two-block stretch of Tuxedo Road, at least four buildings were severely damaged and 10 others received minor damage, he said.
"A number of large mature trees have been snapped in half, telephone poles broken like they were toothpicks," Mr. Piringer said.
Two people were treated at local hospitals for minor cuts, bruises and scrapes, he said.
The Potomac Electric Power Co. reported that 14,000 customers lost power, most of them in central and southern Prince George's.
After striking Prince George's, the worst of the storms moved across Anne Arundel, where there were reports of downed trees in Harwood and fallen power lines in Pasadena.
The fast-moving storm, which was traveling between 40 mph and 45 mph, crossed the Chesapeake Bay to the Eastern Shore, where a tornado was reported near Cordova, about 10 miles north of Easton in Talbot County. About 10 homes were reported damaged.
