A tornado touched down in Tysons, Virginia, on Thursday night, the National Weather Service confirmed after heavy rain and powerful winds left behind damage.
An EF-0 tornado with an estimated peak wind of 85 mph touched down at 8:41 p.m. “along Chain Bridge Road just northwest of the Tysons Corner Mall,” NWS said in a statement Friday.
The tornado had a path about 200 yards long and 50 yards wide.
No injuries were reported, but damage seen at two gas stations was caused by the tornado, NWS said. The tornado caused the canopy over one gas station to collapse, tore off a garage door, shattered windows, damaged plants and blew items around, according to officials.
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An EF-0 is the weakest tornado on a scale from 0 to 5, ranging from 65-85 mph (EF-0) to over 200 mph (EF-5), NWS said.
The forceful storm damaged a canopy covering gas pumps at a Sunoco station in the Tysons area near Chain Bridge Road and International Drive.
Video shows a tilted beam and the canopy leaning onto the roof of a convenience store.
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"These steel beams have come up completely on two of the posts," said Robert Wilson, a roofer. "[The canopy] is sitting on this flat roof, which ... is probably supporting most of that weight right now."
Another gas station nearby was also damaged. Its awning was crumpled, and windows were broken.
The storm knocked down trees and utility poles, and there were reports of hail.
Storm Team4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer said Thursday that he expected NWS would confirm that a tornado hit.
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Tornado warnings were issued Thursday night for D.C. and parts of Maryland and Virginia including Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
