Tornadoes spotted outside Washington, DC, as firefighters race to free storm victims from damage
WASHINGTON – Several people were injured when severe weather, including tornadoes, swept through Maryland and Virginia on Wednesday evening, leaving trails of damage. Local emergency management said they believe at least one of the tornadoes touched down in the communities of Poolesville and Germantown in Maryland. Power flashes were also reported along Interstate 270, which runs northwest from the metro, and Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service responded to reports of people trapped in Gaithersburg.
Initial storm damage reports from Wednesday (FOX Weather) indicated at least half a dozen people were trapped in homes by falling trees, with some victims requiring medical assistance after being freed by first responders. Firefighters said at least five people were transported to a local hospital with injuries and in at least one case, injuries were thought to be significant. The local National Weather Service office issued several Tornado Warnings for the cells and said at least one rose to the level of a ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ due to storm spotters witnessing a twister.
“Based on spotters and camera footage, it appears the initial tornado went just south of Poolesville before dissipating. Then an additional tornado developed west of I-270 near Gaithersburg before tracking east,” a NWS meteorologist said immediately after the storm. PowerOutage.us reported more than 13,000 electric outages in the mid-Atlantic, with the greatest concentration in Maryland.
The Montgomery County Communications center announced it was operating in Condition Red due to the number of people calling 911, but officials said they were prioritizing requests to the most critical in need. In Germantown, Maryland, spotters reported significant tornado damage to a water resource recovery facility. The Sykesville Fire Department in northern Maryland reported at least 10 structures were damaged during Wednesday’s severe storms, but all residents escaped without injuries. An additional tornado was spotted around Arbutus, Maryland, on the southwest side of Baltimore and reportedly crossed Interstate 95.
The NWS office intends to survey several communities which are less than an hour’s drive outside of D.C. to determine how many tornadoes formed and what their strengths were on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Severe weather events including tornadoes are not uncommon around D.C. and the mid-Atlantic. Just about a year ago, 80-mph winds caused widespread damage across the metro.
Forecasters said multiple rounds of heavy precipitation and thunderstorms will move across the area into the overnight hours. The NWS also issued Flood Watches for the Baltimore and Washington areas due to the risk of heavy rain from the systems moving through the region. “Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone areas,” the NWS said. “Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Low-water crossings may be flooded.” The NWS said rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches are likely across the region, with isolated amounts of 3-4 inches possible where the strong storms move through.