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WASHINGTON - Severe weather rolled through the mid-Atlantic region Wednesday, downing power lines and trees and killing at least one person, authorities said.The National Weather Service in Sterling, Va., had not confirmed whether any tornadoes touched down during the violent weather, said meteorologist Brandon Peloquin. He said teams would likely go out later to assess the weather damage. The storms were part of the same weather system that moved through the Ohio Valley earlier Wednesday, he said.In northern Virginia, wind damage was reported across Loudoun County including downed trees across roadways, said county sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell. "(We have) a couple reports of (funnel cloud) sightings but no confirmation of a touchdown," Troxell said.In Maryland, Anne Arundel County fire officials said a tornado touched down about 3:30 p.m., but there were no early reports of damage or injuries.Two people were trapped at a construction site near Baltimore when a crane collapsed as the storms rolled through, but they were not seriously injured. High winds were blamed for the collapse.At least 14 homes were severely damaged by strong winds in Charles County, Md., in the first band of storms, said Katie Leahan, spokeswoman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. Also in southern Maryland, a shelter was set up at a St. Mary's County high school. Leahan said there were no serious injuries reported."We've got areas that have light poles bent in half," Leahan said. "It's a very sobering reminder that severe weather can happen at any time and people need to be prepared for it."The storms disabled the 911 system in King George County in Virginia.In Maryland, service on MARC Brunswick Line has been canceled for Thursday morning and afternoon because of fallen trees and debris.Due to widespread power outages, Prince George's and Montgomery County Schools are closed Thursday.All administrative offices will be open. Graduation ceremonies scheduled for Blake, Whitman, and Wheaton High Schools are still scheduled. For weather-related closings and delays, click here. The severe weather that pounded parts of D.C. Wednesday afternoon left at least one person dead.In the Annandale area, a man was killed when live wires and a tree fell on an SUV he was riding in at Hummer Road and Marshall Drive, Fairfax County Police spokesperson Mary Ann Jennings tells WTOP.The man, who has not been identified, was in the passenger seat of a white Toyota 4Runner, Jennings says. The driver, also a man, escaped with minor injuries.In the same neighborhood, a roof was blown off a house and another house was damaged by a fallen tree.In a Falls Church neighborhood, Michael Gesami said a felled tree crashed through the roof of his two-story house like a meat cleaver."I thought it was really loud thunder," Gesami, 20. "It crashed right through."WTOP Traffic Reporter Lisa Baden reported heavy storm damage in the Chesapeake Beach area of Maryland and a confirmed report of a tornado.A tornado touched down at the Trader's Seafood Steak and Ale Restaurant, the Chesapeake Beach Fire Department tells WTOP.To read more go to:
http://wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1415430
As in the days of Noah....
