into the 70's in southern maryland. there is a tornado watch in effect for southern maryland including st. mary's county and the lower eastern shore until 8:00 this evening. no reports of a touchdown yet. we will not focus on the thunderstorms as much as the wind. the wind could gust to over 50 miles an hour through the night. the winds are approaching from the west gusting at 30 miles an hour in western maryland. all of that is headed our way. let's check the doppler. the line of thunderstorms is on the lower eastern shore. we have seen some rotation with the storms down there. a strong storm is moving east at 50 miles an hour. around the baltimore area, we do not have as much thunderstorm activity as the wind expected to

kick in. there will be much colder air for the weekend. more on that in a few minutes. >> we have breaking news in baltimore county. fire crews are on the scene of the blaze that damaged at least three homes in the colgate neighborhood. sheldon dutes has just arrived on the scene. >> the fire is under control. it is still an active scene. the road is blocked off. this is as close as they would let us get. the call came in just before 3:00 this afternoon. a neighbor told me it started at the courthouse. three homes were affected as a result of the fire. she said a fourth home had to have a hole cut in the roof. if you are traveling in the area, expect some delays. some areas have been evacuated.

no injuries have been reported so far. police tell us four adults and one minor have been displaced. the red cross is on the way to help. sheldon dutes for wbal-tv 11 news. >> it was a frightening experience. two people shopping at the westfield annapolis mall. three men appeared and attack the man and woman. the to the box containing a new laptop computer. rob roblin has the story. >> yesterday afternoon, the man and woman were returning to their car after shopping at the westfield annapolis mall when they were confronted by three men. it was in the red parking garage around 5:00 p.m. a man and woman had just purchased a laptop and were headed to their car. >> they reported walking out to their vehicle and the red cross area -- in the red cross --

garage area. the three men confronted them. they were able to take a with a laptop computer from the male. >> the card the thieves used to escape in was stolen. police have been unable to locate the vehicle. >> we have received information it was a stolen vehicle. it is a black bmw with district of columbia police. we're trying to get the information out to the public. if anyone saw or heard anything, we want them to come forward to expedite the investigation. >> police say they have stepped up security around mall. they say crimes like this are not common. for those who shop at the mall, a crime like this is cause for concern. >> it happens around here sometimes. i am not surprised about it. >> children go to the mall all the time. you worry about them. >> it is scary.

>> it is hard to believe someone would have the nerve to do this in broad daylight. it just means people are desperate. you have to be careful. >> rob roblin for wbal-tv 11 news. >> police are still looking for the vehicle used in the robbery. they're asking you to keep a lookout for the black bmw. all three suspects to often cited. if you recognize the vehicle, contact detectives. >> it was a pair of shoes that caused problems at the annapolis mall before christmas. another shipment of nike's have people lining up last night. one person was arrested in hyattsville. >> they are the latest design to make you run fast and a pie -- jump high.

those hoping to get them are just standing and waiting around. >> we have been waiting here almost a week trying to get the sneakers. >> those sneakers are the new $220 low in the dark limited edition galaxies. >> there is a lot of hype. >> in some places, it has reached a boiling point. police were called to the small when the crowd got rowdy. there were no serious injuries and no arrests. several people were taken into custody last december when lines got out of hand at another nike shoe release. some parents when the chaos does not and if you are one of the lucky ones to get a pair of the cover issues. lawrence hawkins says someone attacked his son last week and stole his new nike's. >> when they acquire them, they have to watch the back. >> police are watching stores across the country as thousands line up hoping to walk away in a

new pair of shoes. >> sneakers. that is what it is. some people are trying to get them and sell them. i am trying to wear them. >> even though lacing up that deal is going to be difficult. >> hartford county police have not released the head into the of the person struck and killed this morning by an amtrak train. sky team 11 was over the school -- over the scene this morning. officers pronounced the victim dead at the scene along the railroad tracks at the end of the road. police have not provided an age or gender of the victim. anne arundel county police have made a second arrest in the violence is the road rage that ended in the stabbing and collision. he is charged with first and second-degree assault for his involvement in the incident. he was driving the ford explorer in the area north of church new road -- church view road.

the argument turned into a high- speed chase and ended in a crash. one man stabbed the other. he was taken to hospital for treatment. >> the current session of the maryland assembly is nearly half over. >> out of the 204,000 -- it out of the 2440 bills introduced, only one has been signed into law. david joins us with the long to do list. >> one measure progress is how many of the governor's priorities have passed. the answer is one. in january, the governor rolled out the most ambitious agenda since taking office. passage of the same-sex marriage bill is considered a major accomplishment the dominance of the single issue has slowed the

process of other administration priorities. his plan to harness wind power off the coast of ocean city is a tough sell in the house. >> we have to get whether this is affordable and correct public policy. it is promising. >> the governors proposal ran into a public-relations problem. it is caught up in a lawsuit between competitors. then there is the plan to apply the state sales tax to gasoline by phasing it in over three years. the money generated was supposed to be locked into a transportation fund. now there's where the gas tax bill also increases vehicle registration fees to help fund emergency services. >> a portion of the gas tax increase would have gone toward that if we had increased it. we're looking at other options. >> the governor's plan on

separate systems is meeting stiff resistance. the plan to clean up the bay has not moved. the governor's agenda is only a fraction of the 2440 bills introduced so far this session. legislators are also looking over his redistricting plan. we are halfway through the session. lawmakers are are fond of saying at this time of year that it is still early. david collins for wbal-tv 11 news. >> same-sex marriage opponents say they have taken the first steps to bring the issue to referendum. he says he filed a draft language for a referendum petition with the state board of elections. the board has a week to consider the submission. he and his group will be to collect more than 55,700 signatures before november. >> it is always difficult to get the signatures you need in maryland. there are stringent rules and

tougher requirements. we will make sure we follow the rules. we will make sure we get at least double the amount of signatures we need. we know they will throw a lot of them out. >> they would not identify other groups working on the petition. religious organizations have pledged to help overturn the law. you can read the bill and see how your senator voted at wbaltv.com. >> some good news tonight. it looks like the ravens will stay strong next season. the safety is coming back. he is getting ready to play in 2012. he does turn 34 in september. he has not said anything about the season since the afc team been shipped loss to new england. that brought about speculation he may think about retiring. this means the ravens will keep their court offense intact. also coming back is middle

linebacker ray lewis. >> still ahead, a big blow to the president of the university. >> the faculty votes on their dissatisfaction with his leadership and management. the reason behind the no- confidence vote, just ahead. >> something stinks in hartford county. i am lowell melser. i will tell you about it coming up.

>> a rescue caught on tape in delaware. a woman's car stuck on the tracks after the driver tried to make a wrong way turn. two good samaritans worked to free her as the train activated. they were able to pull the woman out of the car just in time. the freight train pummeled the car. police say no one was hurt. the car was completely destroyed. >> in the republican race for the white house, it is four days until the michigan primary. it is taking on big significance. michigan is mitt romney's home state where rick santorum is threatening to steal victory.

we have tonights commitment 2012 update. >> desperate to win in his home state, and mitt romney came to detroit promising to cut income tax. >> 20% across the board. >> he reminded michigan he opposed the auto bail out. >> wish to get the government out of general motors so the future where do we should get the government out of general motors -- we should get the government out of general motors. >> stadium looked almost empty. claim hometown loyalty, romney again sounded rich. >> i drove a mustang and a chevy pickup truck. ann drives a couple of cadillacs. >> those cadillacs together would cost $57,000 at car max.

>> rick santorum is hoping to whip up anger among republicans. >> mitt romney support of the wall street bailout while turning his back on michigan workers. rick santorum's plan changes everything. >> it is surged changed romney's plan and image. he is no longer the inevitable nominee though he is back to even in the latest polls. >> if mitt romney loses michigan, i think it will have major repercussions across the nation. >> no one knows it more than the native son. even if romney it wins michigan,, the struggle may make him look weaker.

>> a new study finds some cancer patients get their diagnosis more slowly than others. the majority of patients see their doctor once or twice before in being referred to a cancer specialist. women, young people, and minorities are more likely to visit their general practitioner three or more times before getting a cancer diagnosis. certain types of cancer were harder to identify such as pancreatic, stomach, lung, and ovarian cancer. researchers in mexico think they have developed a vaccine against heroin addiction. it will soon going to the human testing phase. it makes the body's resistance to the effects of heroin so users no longer get high from it. mice were given access to heroin. those given the vaccine showed a huge drop in consumption. for drug addicts, it could be a potential life saver. flu season has begun coming

getting off to the latest start in 30 years. the flu virus has been reported in all 50 states. colorado and california are expressing widespread activity. 20 states report local activity. the viruses circulating this year are similar to those from last year so more people may be immune. the mild winter weather could also be playing a role. >> your 11 insta-weather plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> unseasonably warm weather in maryland. temperatures made it into the 70's. the front never got here. it is in the warm air were the severe weather has been throughout the afternoon. the warmer temperatures, the more unstable the atmosphere. strong thunderstorms are lingering down in st. mary's county. the activity has been tracking east. it looks like it will continue in that direction moving off

the coast. closer to ocean city, there is a line of thunderstorms that prompted a tornado warning. there was a tractor-trailer overturned by gusty wind. it may have been associated with the line of thunderstorms. on the back side of this comes the cold and wind. not a lot of rain in baltimore. if you check temperatures, you will see 60 at ocean city right now. temperatures drop into the 40's toward oakland. the cold front is getting into western maryland. where the warm air has been lingering, a tornado watch remains in effect until a rackauckas evening. there are severe thunderstorm warnings in effect along the coast. the western part of the tornado watch will be dropped shortly as the front moves off the coast. the pink areas a under a high

wind warning with gusts over 50 miles an hour possible. the gusts of up to 50 miles are possible around baltimore. the wind advisories in effect tonight into tomorrow. the wind is increasing to the west gusting in the 25 to 38 range. when the wind turns to the west, there will be snow. in garrett county, there is a winter weather advisory overnight into tomorrow morning. big changes are on the way. the cold front will move through quick tonight. the wind will gust to 50 overnight with lows dropping into the 30's. you can see the front nicely approaching from the west. strong wind will come in after the cold front clears the baltimore area. the wind will shift to the west. cold air will come sweeping down. it is chilling to the north and west of us. the weekend is going to be cold.

there may be a few flurries over the weekend. the mountains are looking for several inches of snow. east of the mounds, we expect to see sun and clouds mixed. we could get a passing flurry. sunday should have sunny skies with chilly temperatures. a warm-up gets under way next week. the strongest wind will be tonight gusting to 35 tomorrow. it will feel colder with the wind chill. right now there is a gale warning on the bay. tomorrow a small craft a advisory with the wind gusting to 30. up to 3 inches of snow in their county. sunny skies and 36 on sunday. the eastern shore will be windy tonight and tomorrow. partly cloudy skies and lots of sunshine on sunday. it will be windy weaken at ocean city gusting to 45 tomorrow. breezy and chilly on sunday.

it is a weekend of chilly air, partly cloudy skies. we're back in the 50's by monday, tuesday, and wednesday. >> still had, hundreds of people spent the morning on the phone with 911. >> a lot of people were concerned about a strange smell in the air. we found the story. it was all the way in new jersey. details ahead at 5:30. >> we found out what one school system is doing to improve technology education. technology education.

[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] >> faculty at state university have given a no-confidence vote in president avery. members of the faculty are pointing to problems, including the number of cabinet-level staff members, increasing debt, and the institution's failure to give out hundreds of thousands of dollars in need-based aid to student. avery received the letter

informing him of the faculty vote. it will be forwarded to the university leadership. he was named president in 2008. howard county is about to spend $500,000 to improve school technology. >> that money will help to lay the foundation for high-tech learning in classrooms across the district. tim tooten joins us with more. >> technology is changing every day. educators say that is all the more reason to invest in high- tech tools needed for a new generation of learners. at this high school, the media center is a daily stop for students to pick up classroom assignments and special projects. >> there are a lot of online resources we can use. >> the school system is investing even more money in technology as a way to improve its digital education program. >> we will be hiring a digital education officer as well as

staff and resources to provide our students across every school and educators with the tools they need to change the way we do education. >> school administrators have taken notice. they say they support the latest move to keep howard county on the cutting edge. >> when the kids go home, they have technology from their phones to their laptops. the more they can have them at school, it will make a difference in terms of instruction. >> do this will be the first to tell you the tools of technology -- the students will be the first to tell you the tools and technology make a difference in the way they learn. >> i can easily find it having it on my hard drive or my e- mail. >> howard county is hoping to add more technology programs for students across the district. howard county has piloted a member of education programs. tim tooten for wbal-tv 11 news.

>> many voters say the economy will be playing a big role in who gets their vote in november. >> we will take a closer look about how both sides will be affected and how they need to reach out to voters. >> these boxes will help teenagers fulfill their service project dream. details next.

>> live, local, latebreaking -- this is wbal-tv 11 news at 5:00.

11 news at 5:00 continues now. >> safety concerns in harford county. for quite a few viewers, it was a smelly way to start the day. >> a major oil leak in south jersey left many people to the south in a plume of what smelled like natural gas. lowell melser has more. >> something stinks in harford county, or at least it did this morning. a mystery over filled the air causing hundreds of people to call the local fire department. >> the calls increased in volume between 7:00 26:00 p.m.. the decline after 11:00. we received and responded to approximately 40 calls for service. >> at the volunteer fire department on the action started

before 7:00 a.m. when calls started coming in about a possible gas leak that seem to be concentrated in a large area that consumed most of the northeastern part of the county. >> something was not adding up because the calls were so concentrated. >> after a few phone calls to other jurisdictions and with help from the emergency operations center, the smell was linked to the refinery in south new jersey. overnight, it had a major oil leak to the tune of 6.6 million gallons affecting folks who live in pennsylvania, delaware, as well as counties in maryland. >> i checked around my property and could not detect anything. i checked my neighbor's property. as i drove away from my home about a half mile, i had the window down and could still smell it. >> bob thomas from the emergency

operations center said he smelled as he left his home this morning. he says atmosphere conditions were just so that the oil fields stayed close to the ground. he did point out that there were no threats to anyone's health. >> none of them have posed significant risks to citizens in the county. >> fire and emergency officials feel the odor should have cleared the air. they are reminding anyone if they do smell something suspicious to call 911 immediately. i am lowell melser for wbal-tv 11 news. >> more than two dozen counties are under watches, advisories, or severe weather warnings, including a tornado watch south of baltimore. let's get to tom tasselmyer for an update. >> we're watching scattered rain showers and cooler air around baltimore. southern maryland is where the severe weather has broken out. doppler shows the line of showers stretching from south of

ocean city. it is now into eastern virginia. lightning strikes are numerous with this line. it is moving south and east at a good clip. it will shortly be off the coast. the severe weather threat will diminish. i am expecting the watch to be canceled before 8:00. the worst line is making its way towards the ocean. what is left behind for us is scattered showers and cooler air. our attention will turn to the approaching cold front. it is warm in southern maryland, still in the 60's. almost into the upper thirties in western maryland. the tornado watch covers the lower eastern shore. st. mary's county is still in it. the warning will come down. the focus will be on the wind. there are wind advisories around baltimore. the potential for went to gusts over 50 miles an hour to the west of baltimore.

east of the mountains, we expect the wind gusts over 40 and perhaps get close to 50. as the wind turns to the northwest, it will tap into cold air. there's a winter weather advisory for garrett county. they're expecting several inches of snow over the weekend. there may be a flurry here. details on the weekend forecast are coming up in a few minutes. >> also making headlines tonight, and read -- ed reid will remain in the ravens lineup. he has not said anything about the season since the loss to new england. that sparked concerns he is retiring. rayless is returning this season as well. -- and ray lewis is returning this season as well. three men robbed two people

leaving the annapolis mall. they had just purchased a laptop computer when three men robbed them before taking off any stolen black bmw. police have stepped up security in continue to search for the suspects. no one was injured. >> new reports show signs of improvement in the economy. gas prices continue to rise. polls show the economy is the issue voters care most about. it is getting a lot of attention on the campaign trail. sally kidd joins us with more. >> it comes up at every town hall meeting, questions about the economy. the candidates are pushing their own plans for a solution. >> the presidential candidates are hoping to turn concern about the economy into votes on election day. plan changesrum's everything. >> rick santorum has a new ad touting his economic plan.

>> we can bring back american jobs from overseas. >> mitt romney is releasing details of his own plan. >> my administration will make hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts necessary to reduce spending to 20% of the economy by the end of my first term. >> analysts say signs of an improving economy appeared to be benefiting president obama. his approval ratings have soared. first-time jobless claims are holding steady. new-home sales are topping expectations. gas prices are on the rise. newt gingrich is tapping into that. >> there is no reason we cannot get back to reasonably priced gasoline around $2.50 a gallon. >> analysts say voters are likely to base decisions on their personal circumstances and not the economic news of the day. >> a look at themselves and

their neighbors in the side -- they look at themselves and their neighbors and decide if the economy has recovered. >> economists say is too early to know if signs of improvement will continue, especially given the volatility in the price of oil. sally kidd for wbal-tv 11 news. >> there is another fast-moving storm making a destructive path out west. >> the weather extremes have everyone asking what is next. >> what should the city look for to fill the critical job in baltimore

>> some amateur video claims to show pictures of the french photographer before the attack that killed him and an american reporter in syria. he is reportedly seen laughing and sitting with free syrian army fighters the day he was

killed during an attack on a makeshift media center anin hom. he and the other reporter were both killed. a colleague was injured. the amateur video which nbc news cannot authenticate shows him receiving treatment and talking about the attack. they were among 80 people killed. >> more apologies for the recent quran earnings and afghanistan. there are riots in the streets because of the earnings. yesterday, president obama apologized. today a defense department official spoke to muslims at the muslim society in virginia. he says the pentagon is investigating and that this is a chance for people of all faiths to find ways to work together. >> we are learning a price surge may be impacting more than your wallet. for years, companies have been making money by tracking your

every move on line. they are creating a do not track list. >> severe thunderstorms moving off the coast tonight. a strong cold front is heading for baltimore. the insta-

>> coming up at 6:00, a big change in baltimore city, a critical position needs to be filled. another doomsday budget is being discussed in annapolis. what is that smell in hertford county? the incident that caused residents to call emergency fire crews. these stories and

>> it is been a day of wild weather extremes. it was balmy in the south. the north was getting a real taste of winter with only three weeks left in the season. >> record warmth finally gave way to real winter weather in chicago on friday. half a foot of snow fell as residents were beginning to doubt they would see more of it. >> we have not had much snow this year. we just happen to have one more snowstorm. >> unhappy were thousands of travelers at o'hare airport facing hundreds of delayed or canceled flights. it was the same story across much of the midwest and great lakes with the leading edge of the winter storm reaching the northeast before daybreak.

all but a far cry from the balmy weather that continues elsewhere, even in washington, d.c. >> i am happy with the temperatures. i do not like driving in snow. this suits me just fine. >> much of the mid south has been taking in the season out fourth. >> this winter has been quite nice for outdoor enthusiasts. >> it was in the 70's again in charlotte. with only three weeks of winter left, it is sure to be one of the warmest winters on walker -- on record. in jackson, alabama, it was a terrifying day for 62 headstart students and teachers when high wind blew the roof of the school. no one was injured. one person was killed in a tornado that hit northwest georgia that also left a two- mile path of destruction.

the northeast braces for one more blast of winter this weekend. >> the question now is, how big of a blast? >> it will not be brutal, but it will feel chilly. highs will be in the 40's. lows will be in the 20's. in western maryland, that is where snow accumulation is possible. garrett county may pick up snowfall over the next couple of days. much cooler air out there. in contrast it with temperatures around the mid-atlantic. it is 67 in richmond. richmond hit 80 earlier today. they have cooled a little to 67. to the north and west, you have 30's. that cold air is moving south and east running into the mild air. that is where we're getting the collision and severe thunderstorms and potential for rough our -- rough weather for

the next couple of hours. st. mary's county and parts of virginia are coming out of the watch. the main threat is along the coast. you can see the transition from rain to snow in western pennsylvania into ohio. colder air is coming in. the emphasis will go from severe thunderstorms to wind and cold and mountain snow. it is 41 in oakland. this still a tornado watch in effect for the lower eastern shore including dorchester county. the western side of the day has been removed from the watch. there are no thunderstorm warnings in effect in maryland now. a high wind warning has been taken off except for garrett county. garrett county will have the brunt of the win tonight. the blue areas have a high wind advisory with gusts over 40

miles an hour. if you are traveling west in a high-profile vehicle, be careful. the rtc in the wind gust to 30. that will bring the today are already seeing the wind gusts to 30. -- they are already seeing the wind gusts to 30. east of the mountains, we should see a clearing trend tonight. it will be chilly. 42 downtown. happy whenind will b guests tonight. when the front goes by, the wind will kick in. that will be after midnight tonight. the cold in the upper midwest will come rushing south and east. we will not give a directive, but it will be chilly saturday and sunday. -- we will not get a direct hit, but it will be chilly saturday and sunday. accumulation is likely in the mountains. temperatures will be stuck in the 40's on sunday.

the wind should diminish a bit. 45 tomorrow with a chance for a flurry. still chilly on sunday. we will warm back in the 50's monday and tuesday. that sets the stage for another round of showers and thunderstorms on wednesday with a high of 55. >> sales of new homes slightly dropped last month after four state months of gains. new-home sales fell 0.9% to an annual rate of three and a 21,000 homes. this comes on the heels of four straight months of gains in which sales rose 10%. sales are still well below the market most analysts say is a sign of a healthy housing market. in baltimore, a big boost for home buyers and homeowners facing foreclosure. two affordable housing groups are getting thousands of dollars of help from congress.

rep cummings was on hand to present the checks to neighborhood services and st. ambrose. the money comes from a nonprofit established by congress to establish affordable housing and adult communities. >> these organizations bring in some of the best expertise in housing trying to help people find ways to maintain their homes, avoid foreclosure, make sure they handle their payments properly. >> he is the ranking democrat on the house oversight and government reform committee. he has been a leading voice on for closure prevention. he also expressed his disappointment tonight that the organizations did not get help from fannie mae and freddie mac. consumer protection on the internet is getting a boost. just like they do not call

laws, there is a do not track feature in the new proposals. consumers will have the right to know what information is collected about them online. hundreds of businesses have cashed in over the years tracking your movements. federal officials say the bill calls for beefed up privacy. >> until today, you did not have as sure a guarantee those preferences would be honored by advertisers. >> respecting privacy and protecting personal data encourages trust in internet commerce. >> the high price of gas is creating a new trend. gas stations are the most common victims of funny money, counterfeit cash. the secret service says gas stations are prime spots for counterfeiters, especially in the last month. it may not be linked to the economy, but agents say it is a growing trend.

>> it is a relatively easy place. you will not be looked at as much. this is so much activity at a gas station. we have arrested lots of people at gas stations over the years. >> the best way to spot a fake bill is to look for watermarks and ridges. agents tell us machines are trained to reject counterfeit cash. >> after 16 years, the head of the baltimore city economic development agency is retiring. who will fill his shoes? can that person stop the bleeding of jobs from baltimore? jayne miller has that story at 6:00. >> strangers come together to help children in need. details next.

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>> two local teenagers helping those in need get help of their own. jennifer franciotti has more. >> they spend some time before school loading up donated blankets for the ronald mcdonald house. they have been collecting blankets for the welcome project, a nonprofit that provides three blankets -- free blankets for sick children.

>> a little boy whose siblings had passed away and asked if he could have a blanket. >> our goal is to provide a blanket for every child. we have 800 so far. >> 800 until a chance conversation at church linked the family with a high school students. mark has a garage full of blankets. the large fleece blankets were made with her own kids in mind, complete with poland's -- poems written by their uncle. she had been made for a business that did not work out. >> we were selling them to children's stores. when i found out about her organization and they were looking for volunteers to make blankets, i said i could help. >> to the tune of 1200 blankets putting the total collected

over 2003 >> we were amazed. it was like a miracle. >> it is amazing scene the joy it brings to the little kids. getting these blankets is great. that means more kids we can give blankets to. >> inspiration for the blankets in the first place say that they are happy to share. >> we're giving stuff they do not have. they need this stuff more than us. >> i feel happy to give to them. >> jennifer franciotti for wbal- tv 11 news. >> what a great partnership. here is a look at what is coming up new at 6:00. >> what should the mayor look for any critical hire she must make? >> democrats propose a doomsday budget. what is that about? >> live, local, latebreaking -- this is wbal-tv 11 news at 6:00. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] >> we begin with a weather

alert. >> parts of maryland and the eastern shore are under a tornado watch. high wind is expected to batter other parts of the state. tom tasselmyer is tracking conditions. >> it is slowly improving. it is mainly for southern maryland as far as the severe weather threat is concerned. it is getting close to being completely offshore. some counties still have the chance for a thunderstorm. there is a cluster of storms heading back across the dorchester county. that is about the last of it. the weather service is in the process of dropping some of the tornado watch. the area is still in the yellow -- the areas in the yellow are still under the watch. hopefully that will be cancelled in the next few hours. gusts up to 50 miles an hour in western maryland. western maryland.