Wind gusts near 70 mph tore through Washington late Thursday, Sept. 3, toppling trees onto homes and roads and knocking out power to more than 15,000 Pepco customers in the District.
DC Fire and EMS evacuated a row house on the 200 block of 8th Street SE on Capitol Hill after a large tree crashed through the roof, WTOP reported. No one was injured.
The National Weather Service had issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the District, in effect until 12:15 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, citing 70-mph wind gusts detected by radar, according to AlertDC.
Pepco reported the 15,000-plus outages as of 5 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4. No restoration timeline had been announced.
Damage across the city
Fallen trees blocked streets and sidewalks across Capitol Hill, Columbia Heights and other neighborhoods. On Rock Creek Parkway, a large tree blocked the entire roadway at Ridge Road. A massive tree cracked in half in the middle of Dupont Circle, according to PoPville.
On Tennessee Avenue NE, a tree lifted the concrete sidewalk and landed across four houses. An enormous tree and a lamppost came down in Walter Pierce Park. Branches as large as a sedan fell at 14th and Shepherd streets NW, and a fallen tree blocked the tunnel from the Capital Crescent Trail to Canal Road, PoPville reported.
Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen said on X that there were no injuries in his ward but warned of widespread tree damage. He urged residents to report downed trees to 311.
@charlesallen: "No injuries here, but there are going to be a lot of downed trees around the neighborhood from those winds & storm. DDOT's teams will be working to clear trees & branches. …"
AlertDC issued a travel advisory Friday, Sept. 4, warning of residual flooding, debris and temporary lane closures on District roadways. Metrobus and Metrorail services may also face delays from weather impacts on tracks and electrical systems, the advisory said.
More storms expected Friday afternoon
A second round of severe storms was expected to develop Friday, Sept. 4, in the afternoon and evening, according to WTOP. 7News meteorologist Eileen Whelan told the station that "damaging wind gusts will be the main concern, along with heavy rain that could lead to isolated flooding."
Highs on Friday, Sept. 4, were forecast to reach 90 to 95 degrees, with heat index values between 97 and 103. Severe weather threats should decrease overnight, with showers possibly lingering into Saturday, Sept. 5. The rest of the Labor Day weekend is forecast to be clearer and cooler, with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.
Regional impact
The storm also hammered the broader region. More than 25,000 Pepco customers lost power in Prince George's County. In Northern Virginia, more than 51,000 Dominion Energy customers were without electricity, including nearly 22,000 in Fairfax County and almost 19,000 in Arlington.
In Kettering, Md., a tree fell onto a home on the 300 block of Wren Court at 12:04 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, trapping a juvenile resident. Prince George's County Fire and EMS crews extricated him and transported him to a hospital for evaluation.
How to report storm damage
Residents can report downed trees or debris by calling 311 or visiting 311.dc.gov. Power outages can be reported to Pepco at 877-737-2662 or by texting OUT to 48710. Downed power lines should be reported to 911 first, then to Pepco.
