WASHINGTON — D.C's Smithsonian Zoo officials had their hands full on Sunday.
They closed their doors to the public and spent the day cleaning up debris caused by Saturday's severe storms.
No zoo animals or visitors were injured during the storm, a zoo spokesperson said. But fallen trees damaged park benches and sidewalks.
Employees must clean all debris up before reopening to ensure a safe visit for guests.
As of now, the zoo has not said if it will reopen on Monday. You can find updates here.
The storms also left thousands across the region without power, stranded drivers on I-66 for close to two hours and possibly took the life of one Virginia man, as Prince William County authorities continue to investigate the death of a 43-year-old found dead in his house after a tree fell on it.
The question that left many in the dark was what caused these fast and furious winds that seemingly came out of nowhere?
While some social media posts claimed tornadoes or a derecho caused those strong winds, WUSA9 meteorologists say that was not the case. Tornadoes were not detected during Saturday's storm, nor was the storm classified as a derecho. That means that the thunderstorm winds were likely caused by downburst winds.