Photo by Sam Yu A large patch of trees in a wooded area between Ijamsville Road, bottom, and Mussetter Road, top, was flattened by the violent storm that passed through the area Friday afternoon. A large barn in the background was also flattened with heavy damage to a nearby house. Purchase this photo

Meteorologist Matthew Kramar said the tornado had winds of at least 100 mph. No one was hurt.

Another tornado touchdown from the storm was also confirmed in Gamber in Carroll County.

Kramar was one of two meteorologists sent to the area to assess whether a tornado actually hit.

It started in the area of Tabler and Ball roads and continued on a northeastern path for several miles, stopping around the Whiskey Creek Golf Course.

Kramar was told by a resident that before the tornado the person saw fingers of condensation beginning to swirl. The meteorologist has received no reports of funnel cloud sightings.

According to the radar, it may have been hard to see, Kramar said. It was probably shielded by a wall of rain.

The most recent tornado touchdown in the county was on Sept. 17, 2004, when two tornadoes and a handful of funnel clouds touched down in the Brunswick and Adamstown areas.

Kevin Carson of Ijamsville had just returned to his home on Ball Road when the storm plowed through around 2 p.m. Friday.

Carson grabbed Viper, his Jack Russell terrier dog, and headed downstairs.

"It sounded like a train coming through," he said. "It hit and less than a few seconds (later) it was done."

When it was safe, Carson surveyed the damage.

The roof was gone, his porch and air-conditioning unit had been torn off, the chimney was cracked, most of the trees in his yard and been ripped out of the ground and one of the walls of his home was pushed in.

"It's just a mess," he said. "I've never been through this before."

It usually takes Craig Beutelspacher about 10 minutes to get from his home in Urbana to Frederick . About an hour and a half after the storm, that same trip took 45 minutes.

He tried I-270, but it was backed up, so he turned around. An attempt on Md. 355 also failed. He ended up driving on several of the roads that were hit hard during the storm, including Mussetter Road. He saw downed power lines and large trees ripped out of the ground.

"It was a rather eerie experience driving through that," he said.

Seamus Mooney, director for the county's department of emergency preparedness, said officials were out Friday and Saturday to assess damage and determine if the area could be declared a disaster.

There is no estimate on damage yet, he said.

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency was monitoring the situation, but county officials had not requested the agency's help as of midday Saturday, said Edward Hopkins, deputy director of operations.

Several volunteers with the Frederick County Chapter of the American Red Cross assisted those affected by the storm on Friday and Saturday.

Eight volunteers went through the heavily damaged area Friday to see if everyone was OK and if they needed a place to stay, said Leah Fleming, disaster action team leader.

Volunteers provide a shoulder to lean on and give them information on helpful resources available, said Keith Roberson, chairman of the chapter's board of directors. They helped one family find a place to stay Friday night.

As the volunteers arrived, Fleming noticed that many residents were helping their neighbors remove debris and cut down trees.

"The community out there is amazing," she said.

Friday and Saturday, volunteers went door-to-door passing out water and sandwiches to those who are affected and helping to clean up, Fleming said.

More than 215 customers were without power Saturday afternoon in the Monrovia /Ijamsville area, according to Allegheny Power. They estimated it would be restored by 6 p.m. Saturday.

While no people were hurt, several chickens and goats died when the building they were housed in collapsed from storm damage in the 9200 block of Ball Road, said Harold Domer, director of Frederick County Animal Control. A calf remained missing from the same farm on Saturday afternoon.

Two squirrels injured in the storm were taken to Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic, he said.

Animal Control Officer Rachel McVey went to every house in the tornado's path to make sure all pets were accounted for, Domer said.