How Likely Is a Tornado in Garrett County, MD?
Garrett County, MD: what NOAA's tornado record says
Garrett County has recorded 7 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 10.9 years - our Low band. Put another way: Garrett County sees more tornado activity than 22% of US counties. Within Maryland alone, Garrett County ranks 20 of 24 counties for tornado frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
6 weak and 1 significant tornadoes make up Garrett County's 7-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Garrett County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Maryland has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Maryland this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
28,393 people live in Garrett County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Maryland than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Garrett County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 649 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Garrett County has about 28,393 residents.