ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Severe storms knocked left thousands without power in portions of northern Virginia and snarled the evening commute on Wednesday, while other areas contended with flooding and hail, fallen trees and downed power lines, officials said.
Warrenton in Fauquier County, Virginia, was the hardest hit area after storms brought trees and branches down on homes and also blocked lanes on Interstate 66, according to local media reports. The storms have knocked out power for nearly 50,000 homes and businesses in the region.
Warrenton Town Manager Brandie Schaeffer said storms raced through the town, leaving scattered power outages and toppling trees and taking power lines across major streets leading in and out of downtown. No injuries were reported, Schaeffer said.
WRC-TV reported one Warrenton resident was trapped in her home because of fallen trees.
Trees blocked US-15/US-29 Lee Highway between Warrenton and New Baltimore, authorities said.
Forecasters said the Shenandoah Valley could face a second round of thunderstorms overnight. The main threat would be rains that could lead to flooding if the ground is saturated after the earlier storms.
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