Water Damage, Flooding Reported After Storms

Punishing thunderstorms and a possible tornado shredded homes in a Stafford County subdivison late Thursday night and left area roadways clogged with debris and standing water as the morning commute approached.

Flood warnings and a tornado watch remained in effect for parts of northern Virginia and southern Maryland, though meteorologists expected the storm system to begin tapering off after dumping as much as three inches of rain across the region overnight.

Standing water blocked part of Route 50 in Landover, closing the highway and complicating the morning for commuters heading from Prince George's County into the District. Storm-related delays were reported on VRE's Manassass and Fredericksburg lines, while fallen trees and limbs were blocking roadways throughout the area. MARC trains heading into Washington were being stopped at New Carrollton because of flooding.

It was in the England Run North subdivision outside of Fredericksburg, however, where the storm's impact was most acutely felt.

A Stafford County official said 50 or more homes were damaged by the storm, many of them significantly. Exterior walls were ripped a way by high winds and roofs were crushed by falling trees and branches.

More than 100 people had moved into an emergency shelter set up at the Gayle Middle School in the southern part of the county. Inspectors were going through the subdivision this morning determining which were still habitable.

"The second levels of homes were pretty much demolished. The exterior walls are gone. Bedroom furniture and toys strewn around. The damage was significant," said county spokesman Cathy Riddle.

A National Weather Service meteorologist said a team would be inspecting the area later in the day to determine if a tornado touched down.

The storm brought heavy rain, penny-size hail and winds in excess of 60 mph swept to the region late last night and early today. There were also unconfirmed reports of a tornado in the Triangle area in Prince William County, the National Weather Service reported.

Early today, the National Weather Service reported trees down and structural damage in southern Stafford, near Fredericksburg.

"We do have multiple reports of structural damage," said Brian LaSorsa, a Weather Service meteorologist.

No serious injuries were reported in Stafford, despite strong winds, though it was clear some families would be displaced for an extended time while their homes are repaired. "When you think of anytown U.S.A, this fits the bill," Riddle said. "I'm looking at families with little children getting in buses.

"They're probably wondering what's going to happen tomorrow. Our hearts go out to them."

In some houses "You can see through to the closet," Riddle said. "You can see the clothes hanging up. You can see a child's furniture.

"Nobody has confirmed that a tornado touched down, but you look at this neighborhood there's considerable damage. The storm that blew through here is pretty significant."

The storm "kind of hopped from different areas" of the county, said Bill Kennedy with the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. It appeared that the bulk of the damage occurred before midnight. Scattered power outages were reported in Stafford and other parts of the region.

Officials reported many road closures last night because of flooding, which could affect this morning's commute. A section of Braddock Road was reported to have collapsed in the Arcola area of Loudoun County. Forecasters warned that last night's heavy rains were to followed by another line of rain storms, which could lead to flooding in low lying areas and street drains across the region

Winds gusts of 48 mph were reported near Quantico, LaSorsa said.

Virginia State Police reported accidents along Interstate 95 from Glebe Road to south of Lorton and on the Capital Beltway, where high standing water and poor visibility led to crashes and lane closures.

Areas of Southern Maryland and central Virginia were under a tornado watch and warnings late last night and early today, and forecasters said severe storms may trigger flooding, authorities said.

Early today, the Weather Service issued a tornado watch from Harrisonburg in western Virginia to Maryland's Eastern Shore until about 3 a.m. The Weather Service also issued a tornado warning for Prince George's and Charles counties.

A severe thunderstorm warning last night indicated penny-size hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. The storm was three miles east of Logan and moving northeast at 29 mph, the Weather Service said.

Early today, radar indicated a tornado developing 12 miles west of Waldorf, moving northeast at 27 mph.

back