WeatherFanatics: Washington D.C. Area Pummeled By Hail as Big as Baseballs

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Washington D.C. Area Pummeled By Hail as Big as Baseballs

Sean Breslin
Published: May 3,2016

Large hail is seen in Rockville, Maryland, on Monday, May 2, 2016.
(Instagram/theofficialdavidv)

While hail as big as baseballs crashed onto homes and cars Monday evening, residents across the Washington D.C. metro area echoed the same sentiment on social media: "I've never seen hail this big before."
Baseball-sized hail was reported in the Maryland towns of Rockville and St. Charles, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, and much of the area surrounding D.C. received hail in smaller sizes as the storms rolled through Monday night. There were few preliminary reports of hail damage.
There have been only eight reports of hail larger than baseballs in the state of Maryland since 1950, most recently hail up to four inches in diameter on June 23, 2015, according to NOAA records, said weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman. There have been only 18 reports of hail baseball-sized or larger (2.75 inches in diameter) in the state of Maryland since 1950, he added.
(MORE: Why Large Hail Is Such An Underrated Danger)

Experts say they'd be surprised to see the D.C. metro escape this storm without some damage, especially in the areas hit by baseball-sized hail.
"These large hailstones require intense thunderstorm updrafts, on the order of 80 mph, to support their growth. The high-end instability needed for such updrafts are more common in the Plains states than mid-Atlantic states," Erdman said. "In general, baseball-sized hail is sufficient to smash vehicle windshields. If driven by strong thunderstorm winds, they are capable of much more damage, including to siding of homes, roofs, and smashing home windows."
The storms also brought strong winds and heavy rain that were responsible for flooding and damage in the mid-Atlantic. WTOP.com reported that at least 3,000 customers lost power Monday night in the D.C. area, and some properties were damaged by falling trees. Officials did not report any injuries from the wind damage, the report added, but Fox5DC.com said the heavy rain led to several water rescues in Maryland's Montgomery County.
More photos and videos of the hailstorm can be seen below.