A fast-moving, massive storm is heading towards the Nation’s capitol and it is predicted to cause severe damage! Click below to read more.
WASHINGTON — A fast-moving, aggressive thunderstorm system known as a derecho is headed toward the nation’s capital and is poised to cause severe wind damage.
The National Weather Service placed much of Virginia, the District of Columbia and portions of Maryland under a severe thunderstorm watch until 1 a.m. Saturday. As the storm pushed from Ohio into West Virginia, Pennsylvania, western Maryland and western Virginia on Friday evening, numerous severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for impacted counties.
The front of the storm system is expected to push through D.C. and its suburbs before midnight. As of 10 p.m., the front line of the storms were pushing into Virginia’s Loudoun and Faquier counties and Maryland’s Frederick County.
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, a derecho “is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to that of tornadoes, the damage typically is directed in one direction along a relatively straight swath.”
As the derecho moved through Ohio earlier on Friday, it hit Columbus and other cities with hurricane-force winds.
As WJLA-TV/ABC7 reports:
The biggest threat with these storms will be damaging wind gusts and frequent lightning after today’s record heat. Keep in mind, there is a lot of heat energy in the atmosphere after record breaking temperatures today.
The D.C. region experienced record-breaking heat on Friday afternoon, with temperatures crossing the century mark in numerous places.Last week Friday, severe evening storms plowed through the D.C. area, causing considerable damage in Bladensburg, Md., where straight-line winds associated with a microburst ripped roofs off houses and apartment buildings and knocked trees and power lines to the ground.
This is a developing story …
