TL;DR

Two tornadoes were reported Tuesday afternoon and evening—one near Trappe, Maryland, and one associated with a wildfire near Kanosh, Utah. The Maryland tornado occurred amid a widespread severe weather outbreak that produced 330 wind reports and 16 hail reports across 26 states, with the most significant damage concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

A Geographically Scattered Severe Weather Day

Tuesday, July 28, 2026, brought severe thunderstorms to a remarkably broad swath of the United States. According to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 330 wind reports, 16 hail reports, and 2 tornado reports were logged across 26 states from the Northern Plains to the Southeast and Northeast.

The two tornado reports came from opposite ends of the country: Trappe, Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic, and Kanosh, Utah, in the Great Basin. The Maryland tornado was confirmed by multiple social media videos and 911 calls around 2214 UTC (6:14 PM EDT) approximately three miles southeast of Trappe in Talbot County. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly (PHI) noted that no additional information was available at the time of the report, and the tornado's rating remains under investigation.

The Utah event was a fire tornado—also called a fire whirl—associated with the Widemouth 2 wildfire south of Kanosh. The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City (SLC) confirmed the phenomenon at 2203 UTC (4:03 PM MDT) based on broadcast media and multiple social media videos. Fire tornadoes form when intense heat from wildfires creates strong updrafts that interact with wind shear, generating rotating columns of air and flame. While classified as tornadoes in storm reports, fire whirls are meteorologically distinct from supercell tornadoes and typically occur in the immediate vicinity of large fires.

Wind Damage Dominated the Day

The overwhelming majority of severe weather reports Tuesday were wind-related. All 330 wind reports involved downed trees, snapped power poles, or structural damage, with the heaviest concentration in Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, and Kentucky.

In Virginia alone, dozens of reports documented trees blocking roadways and downing power lines. The National Weather Service in Blacksburg (RNK) received reports of numerous trees down in the Atkins area of Smyth County, large trees blocking both lanes on Teas Road west of Rye Valley, and a tree on power lines off Roberts Cove Road near Flatridge.

In Illinois, a portion of an apartment building roof was removed near Woodlawn Avenue and US Route 30 in Ford Heights, with photos shared to social media showing the damage. The National Weather Service in Chicago (LOT) estimated the time based on radar around 1757 UTC (12:57 PM CDT).

Kentucky saw significant tree damage as well. A social media user reported that a tree fell on their car and the corner of their house about five miles east of Inez along Black Log Road. The National Weather Service in Jackson (JKL) confirmed the report with multiple pictures.

In Pennsylvania, PA-863 was closed between Loghouse and Danner Roads in Weisenberg Township due to multiple utility poles down, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly (PHI) noted the closure around 1714 UTC (1:14 PM EDT).

Hail Reports Across the Central and Eastern US

Sixteen hail reports were logged Tuesday, ranging from quarter-size (1.00 inch) to a measured 2.5-inch stone in Taylors Island, Maryland. The National Weather Service in Wakefield (AKQ) issued a correction noting that a picture with a measuring tape showed a lopsided hailstone measuring 2.5 inches in diameter—just shy of baseball size (2.75 inches).

Other notable hail reports included:

  • Oak Brook, Illinois: A two-inch hailstone photographed and shared on social media around 1708 UTC (12:08 PM CDT).
  • Dundalk, Maryland: Quarter to golf ball size hail (up to 1.75 inches) reported around 2146 UTC (5:46 PM EDT).
  • Multiple locations in North Carolina: Golf ball and half-dollar size hail near Murphy, Stony Point, and Hiddenite.
  • Nebraska: Golf ball size hail reported near Angora and Lisco in the western part of the state.

The hail reports were scattered across Tennessee, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Colorado, North Carolina, and Nebraska, reflecting the widespread nature of Tuesday's severe weather.

The Synoptic Setup

The Day 1 Convective Outlook issued by the Storm Prediction Center on July 29 (valid for the current day) highlighted a Slight Risk across the Southeast and Northern High Plains, but Tuesday's storms developed under a different pattern.

According to the SPC's Day 1 outlook discussion, a cold front was slowly spreading southward across the Southeast, with a moist and unstable air mass to its south. Surface dewpoints in the 70s°F contributed to strong instability by afternoon, with mixed-layer CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) likely reaching 3000+ J/kg. Damaging winds were the primary threat, with the potential for semi-organized clusters developing into the late afternoon and early evening.

In the Northern Plains, an approaching disturbance and weak height falls interfaced with an east-southeastward moving front, sharpening the regional lee trough. Surface dewpoints in the mid to upper 50s°F contributed to moderate instability as temperatures warmed diurnally. Scattered thunderstorms moved eastward across the western Dakotas during the late afternoon and early evening, with large hail and severe-caliber wind gusts expected, especially if storms aggregated into clusters.

The SPC discussion also noted a conditional severe threat in the Great Basin and northern Intermountain West, where a northeastward-transitioning shortwave trough and diurnal heating influenced thunderstorm development across southern and eastern Idaho, northeast Nevada, northern Utah, and southwest Montana. This was the environment in which the Kanosh fire tornado developed.

Maryland's Tornado: A Mid-Atlantic Rarity

Tornadoes in Maryland are relatively uncommon compared to the Plains and Southeast, but they do occur—particularly during the warm season when strong instability and wind shear align. The Trappe tornado touched down in Talbot County on the Eastern Shore, a region more accustomed to tropical systems and coastal flooding than tornadoes.

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly confirmed the tornado based on multiple social media videos and 911 calls, but as of the initial report, no damage survey had been completed and no EF rating had been assigned. The time was estimated, and no injuries or fatalities were reported in the initial storm report.

Trappe is a small town with a population of around 1,000, located roughly 60 miles east of Baltimore. The tornado occurred during the evening hours, when visibility is reduced and the risk of injury or death increases. According to a 2008 peer-reviewed study in Weather and Forecasting by Ashley et al., nocturnal tornadoes are more than twice as deadly as daytime tornadoes, in part because people are asleep and less likely to receive warnings in time.

Third-party weather apps are silenced by Do Not Disturb, though Wireless Emergency Alerts for tornado warnings still break through on most phones. For those who want an additional layer of protection, VORTEX Pro places phone calls when a tornado warning is issued for a saved location—calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once Emergency Bypass is enabled for the number.

Fire Tornadoes: A Wildfire Phenomenon

The Kanosh fire tornado represents a different class of tornado entirely. Fire whirls form when intense heat from a wildfire creates a strong updraft, and if wind shear is present, that updraft can begin to rotate. The result is a spinning column of fire and smoke that can reach hundreds of feet into the air.

Fire tornadoes are not rated on the Enhanced Fujita scale because they are not produced by supercell thunderstorms. However, they can still be dangerous, with winds strong enough to spread embers and intensify the fire. The Widemouth 2 fire south of Kanosh was already burning when the fire tornado formed, and the phenomenon was captured on video by multiple sources.

Fire whirls are most common in the western United States during active wildfire seasons, particularly in areas with steep terrain and strong surface heating. They are a reminder that "tornado" is a broad term encompassing multiple atmospheric phenomena, not all of which fit the classic supercell model.

Looking Ahead

As of Wednesday morning, no tornado or severe thunderstorm watches were active. The Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 outlook for July 29 maintained a Slight Risk across portions of the Southeast and Northern Plains, with damaging winds and hail the primary threats.

Tuesday's outbreak was notable not for its intensity—no Enhanced or Moderate Risk areas were in place—but for its geographic breadth. Severe weather stretched from Montana to South Carolina, from Massachusetts to Utah, affecting millions of people across more than two dozen states.

For residents in areas with ongoing severe weather potential, the standard safety guidance applies: monitor local NWS forecasts, have multiple ways to receive warnings, and know where to shelter if a tornado warning is issued. Basements and interior rooms on the lowest floor remain the safest places during a tornado.

VORTEX is a free web app at vortexintel.app that monitors severe weather nationwide. Pro ($4.99/month) places phone calls to your phone when a tornado or flash flood warning is issued for a location you care about — calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once you enable Emergency Bypass for the number, unlike most third-party app notifications.