The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind advisory for Monday through 5 p.m. after strong winds on Sunday downed trees and power lines in Montgomery County.
In its advisory, NWS said there could be 20 mph to 30 mph winds with gusts up to 55 mph, and that “gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.”
PEPCO, which serves the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area, reports on its live outage map that there are 33 active outages in the area and 407 customers are affected, including locations in Rockville, Silver Spring and Chevy Chase, as of 10:50 a.m.
On Sunday morning, a 75-foot tree fell onto a house and knocked down power lines in the 4200 block of Thornapple Street in Chevy Chase, but there were no injuries reported, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said on social media. The road re-opened that night.
Also on Sunday, a large tree fell on MacArthur Boulevard near Falls Road in Potomac, striking a fire hydrant and knocking down wires, according to Piringer. On Monday morning, Piringer posted on social media that the road had re-opened, power had been restored and the damaged fire hydrant had been replaced.
County residents who lose power can call their service providers, including PEPCO at 877-737-2662, BG&E at 877-778-2222 and Potomac Edison at 888-544-4877, Piringer said.
He said residents should call 911 immediately for live wires that are down or arcing. Also, people should “use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a highprofile vehicle” and “secure outdoor objects,” according to the NWS advisory.
Other wind-related incidents included downed trees and wires on Sunday, including on Brentwood Avenue near Monticello Avenue in Silver Spring, Sligo Creek Parkway near Forest Glen Road in Silver Spring, Shady Grove Road and Gaither Road in Gaithersburg and Turkey Foot Road in Gaithersburg.
Also, on Sunday, live wires were down at Beallsville Road near Big Woods Road in Dickerson, causing a large brush fire that was contained, Piringer said.
Montgomery County police spokesperson Casandra Tressler said that Shady Grove Road and Turkey Foot Road have since re-opened but did not provide an update on the other roads.
Also, Takoma Park police said on social media that a tree fell Sunday in the 7200 block of Flower Avenue blocking the roadway. The road has since re-opened, police spokesperson Cathy Plevy said.