Severe storms sweep through DC region

Tree fallen into apartment building — A severe thunderstorm caused this damage at Huntington Apartments in St. Charles, Maryland,聽on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (麻豆官网/Dave Dildine)

Damaged roof in Waldorf — Some buildings east of Waldorf, Maryland, sustained shingle damage and lots of trees were downed following an afternoon storm on Feb. 25, 2017 (麻豆官网/Dave Dildine)

St. Charles Parkway reopens, though front-end loaders were still ramming storm debris to the wayside, following a storm on Feb. 25, 2017. (麻豆官网/Dave Dildine) — St. Charles Parkway reopens. A front-loader clears storm debris to the wayside, following a storm on Feb. 25, 2017. (麻豆官网/Dave Dildine)

Watching the grill get pelted
鈥� Michelle Basch (@mbasch麻豆官网)

(麻豆官网/Michelle Basch via Twitter) (麻豆官网/Dave Dildine)

Hail in Stafford County, Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Courtesy Christus Gruters)

Hail causes damage to the side of a building on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Courtesy Christus Gruters) — Hail causes damage to the side of a building on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2017. (Courtesy Christus Gruters)

Hail piles up on the doorstep of a home in Stafford County, Virginia. (Courtesy Christus Gruters)

Pea-sized hail in Calvert County. (麻豆官网/Michelle Basch)

View of the hailstorm in Waldorf, Maryland. (Courtesy @CammyRoss via Twitter)

Big raindrops have arrived near
— Rachel de Morales (@RMoandMo)

Courtesy @RMoandMo via Twitter (Courtesy @CammyRoss via Twitter)

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WASHINGTON聽鈥� Saturday morning started off warm and balmy, but it didn’t last. Severe thunderstorms swept through the area in the afternoon, bringing 聽in 60 mph wind gusts and hail the size of ping pong balls.

The heavy hail that accompanied the storm as it moved from Stafford County, Virginia, into Southern Maryland was remarkable: Most residents affected by this rare February storm can now say they have received more measurable hail than snow during one of the warmest winters on record.

The National 麻豆官网 Service said a聽storm capable of producing a tornado was spotted over La Plata, Maryland, and moved northeast at 50 mph, triggering a tornado warning for parts of Maryland. The National 麻豆官网 Service may conduct a survey on Sunday. If confirmed, it would be one of three February tornadoes on record for the state of Maryland. 聽The last February tornado occurred in 2014.

There was聽a path of minor damage from the Lowe’s Hardware in La Plata to the St. Charles subdivisions east of Waldorf. 聽Countless trees were downed and some were snapped at their base. While others were toppled, root ball and all.

St. Charles Parkway closed due to fallen trees and storm debris near Huntington Apartments.

“For the most part it’s been tree damage,” Charles County Sheriff Lt. Jason Stoddard said. “We have had a few minor reports of structural damage to both residential and commercial areas; however, there have been no injuries.”

Stoddard said the sheriff’s office responded to roughly 聽125 storm-related calls and the fire department responded to 40 calls.

“Within about two hours we had all the roads open,”聽Stoddard said.

NBC Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Tom Kierein said a聽line of storms formed east of the Blue Ridge and South Mountain and headed east toward the D.C. area.

The storm cleared much of the region by around 5 p.m.

Power outages

Pepco customers can report outages by calling 1-877-PEPCO62 (1-877-737-2662), visiting or through a mobile app, available for .

Dominion customers can report and check the status of power outages on or by calling 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357).

Outages and downed wires for Baltimore Gas and Electric Company may be reported on or by calling 1-877-778-2222.

Report outages to other power companies:

Potomac Edison:聽888-544-4877 or .
NOVEC: 888-335-0500 or .
SMECO:聽877-747-6326 or .
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative: 800-552-3904 or .

麻豆官网’s Tiffany Arnold contributed to this report.

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