LEESBURG, Va. — The cleanup has begun across parts of Maryland and Virginia after quick-moving storms and multiple tornadoes tore a path of damage and destruction across the DMV Friday morning.
Five tornadoes touched down in Maryland, with two in Montgomery County and one in Frederick County, while the sixth hit in Leesburg Virginia.
Roads across the area were blocked off while crews worked to remove downed utility lines and trees, resulting in thousands in the area being without power.
A Wind Advisory was in effect until the early evening hours, for most of the DMV with some wind gusts recorded at 40-50 MPH; speeds reached between 8- and 105 MPH when the tornadoes touched down. With saturated grounds, the gusts were enough to cause trees and power lines to fall in some spots.
No major injuries have been reported, but some homes, apartments, and cars sustained significant damage.
In Leesburg, large trees were reported down on every corner of the Exeter townhouse community as fences were plowed over by the debris. Roofing, gutters, and siding were also seen in the streets of the community.
WUSA9's Pete Muntean was in the area and spoke to residents about the aftermath of the storm.
One resident, Steve Watters, said his house shook as he went into his basement while the storm rolled through. "I'm feeling blessed," Watters said. "There are some houses with some significant damage around with some trees down on cars."
Virginia Department of Transportation and Leesburg town crews are responding to the damage, according to the police department.
"As we continue to survey the damage caused by this morning's storm, we urge motorists to use caution," the police department said on Twitter. "DO NOT try to drive through standing water or downed wires."
Photos: Storm damage in some parts of DMV
Local police, along with utility companies that serve the area, are still assessing the damage around Leesburg and Loudoun County.
Here are resources for Leesburg residents who are in need of resources after the storm:
- Dominion Energy: 1-866-DOM-HELP to report outages and downed wires. You can also report and check outages at www.dom.com.
- Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative: 888-335-0500, or 703-335-0500. Report outages at www.novec.com.
- Washington Gas: 844-WASHGAS (927-4427); Select option 1.
- Leesburg Police non-emergency line: 703-771-4500.