Repair work on buildings and power lines continued Sunday after at least 300 people were displaced Friday night when a severe storm blew through Bladensburg.
The Prince George's County Office of Homeland Security acknowledged that the severe storm cell passed through the Bladensburg area at around 8:00 p.m. The cell produced a microburst, a column of sinking air that produces very high winds, which can knock over trees and damage structures.
On Friday night, Prince George's County Assistant Fire Chief Ronald Bridges reported that 16 multi-family and single-family dwellings had been damaged near the intersection of 54th Street and Newton Street. Between 300 and 600 displaced people were moved to Roger Heights Elementary School. Sheltered residents were moved to Bladensburg High School Saturday afternoon.
As of Sunday afternoon, PEPCO reported that 724 homes remained without power due to Friday's storm. Over 500 of those outages were in Prince George's County, mostly in the Bladensburg and Hyattsville areas. Only two minor injuries were reported due to the storm.
Anyone in need of assistance, information, or shelter should call the Prince George's County Operation Center at (301) 583-2230.
