Sunday Storm Rips Through Rockville (UPDATE)

Downed tree limb in Town Center

A very powerful storm plowed through Rockville about 3:30 Sunday afternoon, accompanied by brief, torrential rains, high winds, lightning, and a tornado warning for Montgomery County.

While brief, the storm caused damage throughout Rockville, from Lincoln Park to the West End. Power was out for much of Rockville. Downed trees and limbs crushed fences, blocked roads and, in at least one case, crushed a vehicle.

[UPDATE:] MD-28 was blocked in both directions at Thomas Street by a tree that fell completely across this main thoroughfare into Town Center:

Downed Tree on MD-28

[UPDATE:] The City of Rockville reported that it lost power. “The powerful line of storms also knocked out power to the Rockville Swim and Fitness Center,” according to a City press release, “and to traffic signals along Routes 28 and 355 and elsewhere in the city. In addition to the power outages, the severe storms downed numerous trees throughout the city.”

This tree, at the intersection of N. Van Buren St. and W. Montgomery, fell forward into the street and crushed a vehicle:

In Lincoln Park, Rockville Central reader Cheryl Kagan called to report a downed tree that had brought down power lines and caused a great deal of damage.

While the effect of the storm was to cool temperatures slightly, authorities said that a heat warning remained in effect until 8pm. Monday’s highs are expected to be in the 80′s, and less humidity is expected.

As an aside, when I called Pepco to report my home’s power outage, the recording that acknowledged the report told me they expect power to be restored by September 10, at 1pm. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take that long. (In fact, I am told the message is due to a backup in the computer system. As crews assess damage we should get a better picture.)

If you had damage from the storm, please let us know in the comments.