EF-1 Tornado Touched Down in Maryland During Fast-Moving Storms
By Storm Team4 ••
Trees fell across the area when severe storms ripped through the area. One tree chopped a house in half. News4’s Jackie Bensen reports.
An EF-1 tornado touched down in Columbia, Maryland, Thursday as severe thunderstorms raced through the D.C. area at the beginning of the afternoon commute.
Chopper video from Howard County showed some uprooted trees but also some trees that were snapped instead of uprooted, which Storm Team4 Chief Meteorologist said indicates a tornado.
The National Weather Service confirmed just before 9 p.m. that a tornado touched down in Columbia and took off part of the roof of an office building on Broken Land Parkway.
The storms brought heavy rain, lightning and damaging winds, which knocked over trees and power lines. Trees crashed into houses and cars and blocked roads.
Several roads remained closed or blocked in the aftermath on Friday morning. Some schools are affected: Arlington Science Focus will be closed and Mount Daniel Elementary in Falls Church will open at 9 a.m. due to a power outage.
Other schools in those districts are not affected.
Falling trees crushed cars, started a fire and trapped a teen in her home in Bethesda. Jackie Bensen reports.
In Southeast D.C., an uprooted tree fell onto a house, its roots breaking the road in front of the house and lifting a vehicle.
At Reagan National Airport, a gust of 68 mph was reported.
As of 10:50 p.m., Pepco reported more than 2,000 power outages in D.C., more than 1,400 in Montgomery County and more than 2,300 in Prince George's County. Dominion Power reported 54,735 customers without power in Northern Virginia.
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Meanwhile, the Eastern Shore is looking like a good destination for your weekend. Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 70s on Friday and Satuday and low 80s for Sunday and Monday.
Scattered showers may also occur late in the day, but likely not until 4 or 5.
The ocean is still a crisp 63 degrees, so if you plan on running into the water, be prepared for a shock of cold.
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We feel like the islands of Assateague (which has land in both Maryland and Virginia) and Chincoteague, Virginia, end up on a lot of Top 10 lists — but there are wild ponies! On the beach! Set up your tent for beach-front camping. (Just be sure to hide your food from the ponies.) On Assateague's Virginia side, you can join a nature cruise to see the wildlife refuge. One note of warning, though: This is an untamed area, so bring along that mosquito repellent. DISTANCE: 170 miles from downtown D.C.
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Sandy dunes open up to 70 miles of mostly undeveloped beaches at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The open-ocean waves are great for surfing or boogie boarding, or you can visit historic lighthouses. Drive to the southern end and you’ll find Ocracoke Beach, which Dr. Beach declared one of the best in the nation. Beach driving and bonfires are allowed here with a proper permit. DISTANCE: 330 miles from downtown D.C. to Hatteras Island Visitor Center
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You'll find pretty much everything you need from a seaside town in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. We're talking go-karts, mini-golf, hang-gliding, boardwalk games and rides for kids — plus frozen custard, obviously. Rehoboth is also home to some fantastic farm-to-table restaurants, so if boardwalk cuisine isn't your thing, you will definitely still be quite happy here. Dewey Beach offers a slightly quieter atmosphere from busier, more crowded cousin Rehoboth. DISTANCE: 120 miles from downtown D.C.
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We're putting Cape May and Wildwood, New Jersey, together because it's easy to do both in a single weekend. On the southernmost point of New Jersey's barrier islands, Cape May is famous for its eye-popping Victorian mansions and B&Bs (and the historic tours that go along with them). Its neighbor to the north, Wildwood, offers a more typical shore experience on a larger scale than its Delaware counterparts, with a different kind of retro via its 1950s-era motels. You'll also find the requisite boardwalk, tons of rides and two water parks. Just "watch the tram car, please."DISTANCE: 185 miles from downtown D.C.
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Ocean City, Maryland, is a destination that kids (or your own inner child) will love. Go for water slides, boardwalk rides and haunted houses, or head to the water to parasail, kayak, surf or, you know, just swim. You can also catch free concerts and movies many nights during summer. DISTANCE: 145 miles from downtown D.C.
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Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head are among the most easily accessible towns in North Carolina’s Outer Banks if you’re coming from the D.C. area. Swim, surf, charter a boat or go fishing off the Avalon Pier. There are also historic sites devoted to the lost colony on Roanoke and the Wright Brothers’ first flight. DISTANCE: 270 miles from downtown D.C.
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Aside from outdoor activities from fishing to kayaking to dolphin watching, Virginia Beach also offers a boardwalk full of rides and restaurants, plenty of festivals, bars, clubs and breweries, plus the Virginia Aquarium and the Military Aviation Museum. DISTANCE: 210 miles from downtown D.C.
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Bethany Beach markets itself as a "quiet resort," offering a more serene option away from the party-hardy bustle of some other spots. There's a limited number of bars, but plenty to do in the way of water sports, a farmers' market, a water park, pirate mini-golf, a boardwalk and movies on the beach. Catch free live music at the Boardwalk Bandstand on weekend nights. You can find something to do in Bethany right up until the end of summer when the town famously bids goodbye to the season with a jazz funeral. DISTANCE: 125 miles from downtown D.C.
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That other Ocean City (the one in New Jersey) offers plenty of family-friendly fun, with a boardwalk that — although often crowded — features a ton of rides and all the old faves when it comes to shore food, including pizza and fried Oreos. What else could you want? DISTANCE: 192 miles from downtown D.C.
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Craving fresh seafood? Tilghman Island, a traditional watermen’s village just off the mainland, has just what you're looking for. Sit down for waterfront dining on the Chesapeake Bay and spend the night at a cozy B&B. One note of warning: If you're looking to swim, you'll be disappointed, because there's no swimming area, but you can still sail, fish, kayak or paddleboard. If you absolutely must swim during your trip, consider an inn with a pool, such as the Black Walnut Point Inn. DISTANCE: 90 miles from downtown D.C.
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Headed to the beach? Tag NBC Washington in your photos on Instagram.
The beaches on this list are open to visitors in 2021, but be mindful of local rules on masking. Be aware that some businesses may have different hours or capacity rules. Here's information from the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, health experts say.
Finally, the UV index will be high this week, which means sunscreen should be a priority. Don't forget to get sunscreen above SPF 30 and remember to apply often in order for it to work.
