The National Weather Service says a tornado went through Poolesville, Maryland, during Saturday’s severe afternoon storms.
The tornado blew through the area at about 2 p.m. A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for the storms that hit the region in the afternoon.
“Scary. My kids were scared, crying. Animals were freaking out,” resident Candi Watkins said.
The tornado was rated an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF), a rating system for tornadoes used to estimate wind speeds and related damage. The zero rating is for three seconds of gusts up to 65 to 95 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
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The National Weather Service estimated the tornado's wind speeds at 75 mph with a path of 100 yards and a max width of 25 yards.
The Watkins family said they took shelter from the tornado in a bathroom.
“The windows were kind of moving in and out a little bit, so that was freaky and scary,” Watkins said.
The Sodens weren't at home when the storm hit, but they arrived on Sunday to find a tree had fallen on their property.
“It doesn't really feel real. And then we started cutting down the limbs to put a tarp over it,” resident Amy Soden said. “And we were like this is bigger than I thought it was."
Trees in the path of the tornado were snapped and uprooted while large hardwood branches were broken, the National Weather Service said. It also damaged decks and fences.
Watkins compared the tornado to the derecho that took place in the neighborhood a decade ago.
“The derecho was longer, but it didn't seem as violent, this was more violent,” Watkins said.
“We had actually been talking about taking down the trees that were still up. And, then we got here and were like, ‘Oh, like at least it didn’t hit the house,’” Soden said.
No one was injured in the tornado.
This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.
