Possible tornado hits DC area, thousands without power

A possible tornado hit the Washington, D.C., area on Thursday, leaving thousands without power.

According to The Washington Post, a rotating storm passed through the area between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. The National Weather Service said it was conducting a survey to determine whether a tornado actually occurred.

The storm began around Falls Church and Arlington, Va., went through downtown D.C. and ended in Prince George’s County in Maryland, according to the Post.

The National Weather Service said on Twitter that the worst of the storms had passed the D.C., Arlington area as of 9:40 p.m. However, it warned those in the area to use “extreme caution” when going out.

“There are likely lots of hanging branches and leaning trees from earlier storms which may fall overnight,” the service said in a separate tweet. “Avoid wooded areas, downed wires, and flooded or closed roads.”

More than 30,000 homes were without power in surrounding counties of Maryland and Virginia, according to USA Today. At least 10,000 households were without power in the D.C. metro area.

WTOP compiled photos of the extent of the damage, including trees, wires and poles blown down as a result of the storm. The news outlet reported that a large tree fell into a building in Silver Spring, Md., and occupants were evacuated.

The Arlington County Fire Department said on Twitter that an adult was extricated from their home after a tree fell into it. The person was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.