This story was updated at 10:37 a.m. on July 27, 2021, to include the latest power outage statistics
A severe thunderstorm brought down trees and power lines throughout the Silver Spring and Takoma Park areas Monday night, according to a Montgomery County Fire & Rescue official.
The storm brought heavy wind and rain, along with localized flooding, Fire & Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer posted on Twitter. Among the areas where trees fell, according to Piringer, were:
- 8115 Flower Ave. in Takoma Park, where a tree fell on a house, bringing down power lines and blocking the road
- 11707 Fulham Street in Silver Spring, where a tree fell on a house, displacing one family
- The intersection of University Boulevard West and Reedie Drive in Wheaton, where fallen power lines were burning, partially blocking traffic.
- Piney Branch Road in Takoma Park, where two trees separately fell on two different houses. There were no injuries. In one case, power lines were also down and blocked traffic.
- Lightning struck a tree near a two-story house on Green Hill Way in Silver Spring, causing an electrical surge. No one was injured, but the family was displaced, according to Piringer.
- A large tree fell in the area of Scott Drive and Notley Road in the Colesville area. Wires were down and a transformer blew and caught fire, according to Piringer. No one was injured, but power was out in the area.
Scott Dr IAO Notley Rd, Sherwood Forest/Colesville, large tree down across road, wires down, utility/telephone pole snapped/damaged, transformer blew & caught fire, small fire contained, no injuries, power out in area pic.twitter.com/xBNq20BDt1
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) July 27, 2021
Update – Green Hill Way and Green Hill Dr off Blick Dr, tree obviously struck by lightning, electrical surge, with fire in basement of nearby house, all occupants got out, one family will be displaced https://t.co/uCVTWlsK8D pic.twitter.com/dtzHd6u43Y
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) July 27, 2021
The storm was particularly intense in Silver Spring’s Kemp Mill neighborhood, according to video from resident Ami Schreiber.
— (((Ami Schreiber))) (@shribr) July 27, 2021
Planning Board Chairman Casey Anderson posted photos on Twitter of a tree that fell in his front yard.
So I came home to find this situation in the front yard – but (happily) not in my living room. pic.twitter.com/NzCFZb4LPI
— Casey Anderson (@CaseyAndersonPB) July 27, 2021
Piringer told Bethesda Beat on Monday that the storm was most intense in the eastern part of the county for about an hour, which included flash flooding in the Sligo Creek area. No injuries were reported, he said.
Initially, at 8:30 p.m. on Monday there were more than 5,000 customers without power in Montgomery County, according to Pepco. As of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday that number had dropped to fewer than 1,500.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@bethesdda-remix.newspackstaging.com