Hundreds of people in the Bladensburg area have
not been able to return to their homes and
apartments after damage from Friday\'s storms
forced them to evacuate. Their homes have been
condemned.
The storm tore the roof off this apartment building in Bladensburg. (WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP/Kristi King
Bladensburg High School is being used as a shelter
for people displaced by the storm. (WTOP/Kristi
King)
Officials with Prince George's County say the
microburst spread through the Bladensburg area
around 8 p.m. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
Some roofs were ripped off and trees damaged other
structures due to the microburst that hit
Bladensburg Friday night. (Courtesy Billy McNeel,
Prince George's County Office of Emergency
Management)
The storm damaged 15 apartment buildings, 1 house
and caused structural damage on Newtown Street. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince George's County
Office of Emergency Management)
Damage from strong winds, some as high as 64 mph,
occurred in Chillum, Mount Rainier, Bladensburg
and the Catholic University area as nearly an inch
of rain fell. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
Officials with Prince George's County say the
microburst spread through the Bladensburg area
around 8 p.m. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
The storm damaged 15 apartment buildings, 1 house
and caused structural damage on Newtown Street.
(Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince George's County
Office of Emergency Management)
Hundreds of people in Prince George's County were
displaced Friday night as a result of a fast-
moving storm. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
A microburst is a small, very intense downdraft
that descends to the ground resulting in a strong
wind divergence. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
Officials with Prince George's County say the
microburst spread through the Bladensburg area
around 8 p.m. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
The storm damaged 15 apartment buildings, 1 house
and caused structural damage on Newtown Street.
Some roofs were ripped off and trees damaged other
structures. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
Officials with Prince George's County say the
microburst spread through the Bladensburg area
around 8 p.m. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
The storm damaged 15 apartment buildings, 1 house
and caused structural damage on Newtown Street.
Some roofs were ripped off and trees damaged other
structures. (Courtesy Billy McNeel, Prince
George's County Office of Emergency Management)
BLADENSBURG, Md. – Pepco has restored electricity to almost all of the 45,000 customers who lost power during fast-moving storms Friday.
As of 7:20 a.m. Monday, 83 customers in Prince George’s County and three in Montgomery County remained without electricity.
Winds from the storm reached 64 mph in Bladensburg, Chillum, Mount Rainier and near Catholic University. About an inch of rain fell.
Hundreds of people in the Bladensburg area — where a microburst struck around 8 p.m. Friday — have not been able to return to their homes and apartments after damage from the storms forced them to evacuate. Their homes have been condemned.
The microburst damaged 15 apartment buildings and one house and caused structural damage on Newtown Street. The small, very intense downdraft ripped off roofs and trees and damaged other structures.
Cleanup is now under way. Along Newton Street near 52nd Avenue, roll-back dumpsters are filled with nail-studded sheetrock and boards. Cars crushed by trees litter the area, and bright blue tarps stretch over rooflines.
A police officer says the area resembles the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, without the water.
Those displaced are being sheltered at Bladensburg High School.
Individuals needing information on shelters and assistance can call 301-583-2230 for more information.
Prince George’s County firefighters responded to more than 235 calls in about four hours during and after the storm. Normally, in a 24-hour period, call volume averages 365 calls.
At one point during the storm, the Prince George’s Hospital Center suffered a power outage and was considering relocating some patients.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
