Facing destroyed homes, uprooted trees and downed power lines, residents of Montgomery County, Maryland, began cleaning up damage from a powerful storm Wednesday evening that spawned tornadoes.
At least two tornadoes touched down in Montgomery County on Wednesday, likely causing millions of dollars worth of damage, said Earl Stoddard, director of the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security.
At least five people were injured but no deaths were reported.
Martin Perez was at home in Gaithersburg with his wife, daughter and two friends when a tornado struck and high winds toppled a tree onto his home, splitting it in two. They all were rescued and were taken to the hospital.
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“To see my daughter screaming, to see your family members scared, you’re scared too. I was very afraid,” Perez said Thursday, after he was released from the hospital.
“I’m devastated to see my family suffering, to see my property and my house damaged,” he said.
Two or three tornadoes hit in that area of Montgomery County, with winds high as 105 mph, the National Weather Service said.
Trey Simmons and his little brother surveyed the storm damage on Thursday. A huge tree fell in their backyard and their trampoline was missing.
“I like to do fun flips in it, but it will not let me do fun flips anymore, because the tornado fell it away,” the little boy said.
Their great-grandmother said she had never seen anything like it.
“In 93 years, I’ve never experienced this. That’s amazing, isn’t it?” she said.
The property damage is extensive but Stoddard said he's thankful no one was killed.
“We got incredibly lucky in Montgomery County with two different tornadoes coming during the peak of rush hour,” Stoddard said. “People home, having dinner in their homes.”
A framed picture could be seen through the torn wall of a home on Thursday morning.
About nine areas received damage “likely caused by tornadoes,” the National Weather Service said in an update Thursday, citing data, photos and videos. Those areas include Gaithersburg, Poolesville, Brookeville, Olney and Arbutus.
The National Weather Service is set to investigate the damage and release more information. They are investigating at least 15 potential tornadoes across Maryland, Stoddard said.
Reopening roads, cleaning up wires and trees and assisting families whose homes were destroyed are among the top priorities in the cleanup effort, Stoddard said.
‘Nature could happen anytime, anywhere’
As residents of Gaithersburg clean up storm damage, some told News4 they will take storm warnings more seriously next time.
“No matter where you live, nature could happen anytime, anywhere,” one man said.
Down the street, a neighbor echoed the sentiment.
“This was a big wake-up call. It was scary,” she said. “The wind was howling. It sounded like we had a freight train coming through the house. I felt like we were Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ I felt like the house was going to take off.”
“Listen to when they say tornado warning,” she added. “This was the real McCoy and it was very frightening.”
Be cautious when cleaning up, Stoddard told residents, especially while using ladders.
If you see any wires, call officials. Touching a live wire could be fatal.
More severe weather is possible on Thursday. The risk of tornadoes is lower than it was on Wednesday, but rresidents should remain weather alert.
