Severe Weather Hits Maryland: Tornado Causes Havoc Across Montgomery County

Tornado warnings continue for parts of Maryland to the northeast of Baltimore. As of 9:44 p.m., the tornado-warned storm was moving northeast out of the D.C. and Baltimore areas toward Delaware.

Thousands of Maryland residents are under shelter Wednesday night after a tornado ripped through parts of the state, causing extensive tree damage and downed wires. According to FOX 5 meteorologists Mike Thomas and Caitlin Roth, the tornado touched down in Poolesville and was confirmed by spotters, tracking east at 20-25 miles per hour around 7:14 p.m. The tornado was near Germantown, Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village, North Potomac, and Boyds around 7:20 p.m., and moved through Gaithersburg just before 7:40 p.m.

A tornado ripped across 270 in Gaithersburg in a ‘serious and potentially life-threatening storm,’ according to FOX 5 meteorologist Mike Thomas. The tornado was spotted on camera live, crossing 270 in Gaithersburg during FOX 5’s live coverage. ‘This rotation has been weakening and then strengthening. It’s been pulsating,’ FOX 5’s Mike Thomas said. ‘Neelsville up there to the north, we want you to take shelter as well as this line continues to move eastward.’

‘That is the portion of the storm right here, where this tornado is not only confirmed, but confirmed to be doing some damage,’ he added. ‘That is why it’s gone ‘considerable’. That is not issued lightly. It’s one of the first I’ve seen since I’ve been in the D.C. area.’

A viewer sent FOX 5 this video of a dangerous tornado touching down in Poolesville, Maryland. Credit: @all_HAIL_greene ‘This to me is the most significant storm I’ve ever seen in the area,’ Caitlin Roth said. ‘We saw it rotating, we saw it lofting debris into the air, we saw several power surges due to lighting strikes. And right now, that hook, that tornado which just crossed 270, you saw it on our skycam has now pushed off to the east, and it is right north and east of Gaithersburg. But it is a tornado on the move, and it is heading due east into more central sections of Montgomery County, in between Laytonsville and Olney. That’s where it’s going. It’s holding together. It’s got a lot of lightning with it, too.’

Damage has been reported with several downed trees in Gaithersburg. A tree fell on a house in Montgomery County, trapping five people. Officials say five people were trapped in the home and were rescued. Four were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the fifth person was transported to the hospital as a trauma.

A Flood Watch has been issued for much of the Washington, D.C. region Wednesday as multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms impacted evening commutes. The Flood Watch will be in effect from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the District, parts of Maryland and areas of northern Virginia. The showers and storms drenched several neighborhoods Wednesday afternoon and they’re expected to continue into the evening.

Bryans Road, Indian Head, and Potomac Heights are all under a tornado warning until 3:15 p.m. FOX 5’s Jim Lokay shared video on social media showing standing water on Florida Avenue in the Shaw neighborhood of D.C. Drivers should take caution on wet roads. Flash floods are possible, especially in low-lying areas and parts of the region prone to flooding. The National Weather Service says rainfall amounts of one to two inches are likely, with isolated amounts of three to four inches are possible.

It’s raining heavily in Hyattsville Wednesday afternoon. The storms could stick around overnight and impact the Thursday morning commute. DC region under Flood Watch as showers, thunderstorms threaten area Sunshine with temperatures near 80 degrees Friday and Saturday. A mostly sunny Sunday with a chance of showers in the afternoon.