Storm Damage In Towson: Trees Into Houses, Traffic Lights Out

TOWSON, MD — Trees fell on houses and roads across the Towson area Monday afternoon and evening as a thunderstorm struck the region, and officials said some issues lingered Tuesday from the storm. Authorities in Baltimore County offered tips for residents cleaning up from the storm and gave guidance on preventing future damage.

The thunderstorm was "short-lived but severe" with "swirling winds and driving rains," Baltimore County government officials reported Tuesday. "The Towson area took the brunt of the storm; damage also was reported in Pikesville. Other areas of the county were impacted little, if at all."

West Joppa Road remains closed between Woodbine Avenue and Bosley Avenue on Tuesday while BGE repairs the utility lines, officials said.

Some traffic lights were still out around Towson, where county officials said at the height of the storm 29,000 households lost power. As of Tuesday afternoon, BGE reported there were more than 3,800 outages in Baltimore County.

Check the status of road closures here from Baltimore County.

Located off West Joppa Road, Bykota Senior Center was closed Tuesday due to the power outage.

Residents described the storm as something that whipped through the area.

"Towson was hit with something fast and furious," said one resident who shared a picture of a large tree down on Kenilworth Drive on the Baltimore County Police & Fire Facebook page.

The storm had winds that were "ridiculously strong," said a man who recorded the storm from the Towson Town Center parking garage.

"It was quite scary for about 5 minutes here in Knettishall. One extreme gust of wind and then a big downpour," one resident added on the Baltimore County Police & Fire Facebook page.

Crews removing tree down on wires in West Towson near Joppa and Piccadilly. pic.twitter.com/3BzEk6g8wF
— Kelly Andersen FOX45 (@KellyFox45) June 19, 2018

Baltimore County officials said these were the impacts of the storm on the Towson area:

• Numerous power lines, trees and branches fell across roads
• Several trees fell onto houses
• Some traffic lights went out
• Power was knocked out to 29,000

No injuries were reported as a result of the storm, according to Baltimore County government officials.

This was the scene on Donnington Circle, captured by ABC 2 News:

Baltimore County public safety officials provided this photo of a tree into a home in 200 block of Morningside Drive:

At Riderwood Park, residents said they could see trees "bending at a 90-degree angle," in this interview with ABC 2 News:

Damage was also reported in Ruxton; this pic of the scene was posted to the Baltimore County Police & Fire Facebook page.

Baltimore County emergency management officials offered these tips for storm preparedness:

• Keep battery-powered flashlights and lanterns on hand.
• Go inside if there is a severe thunderstorm warning or it looks as though a thunderstorm is imminent.
• Maintain large trees, especially older ones, to reduce the likelihood that branches may fall or trees may become uprooted.
• Don't drive through standing water; pull over if there is standing water of unknown depth.
• Stay away from trees, water and utilities to reduce the risk of injury when there is lightning.

RELATED: Trees Down Across Towson Area, Storm Event Under Investigation

Photo of tree into house in the 200 block of Morningside Drive courtesy of Baltimore County Emergency Management. Photo of Towson storm cleanup from Councilman David Marks.