A powerful thunderstorm swept across parts of the D.C. area Monday night, and one observer reported spotting what appeared to be a tornado.
A warning about the storm was issued around 9 p.m. by the National Weather Service for an area near the southern tip of the District.
“I think we have a tornado on the ground east of Oxon Hill in Prince George’s County,” a weather enthusiast posted on X.
The report could not be confirmed immediately and it was unclear whether the posting on X referred to a visual sighting or a radar image. No information was available about any damage or injury.
The Weather Service reported that the storm was headed east, from the Alexandria area of Virginia toward Prince George’s County. At one point after the warning was issued, The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang said radar indicated a possible tornado headed toward the Alexandria area.
CWG said the storm cell heading eastward had “the possibility of producing” a tornado but emphasized that no confirmation of a tornado had been issued and that the rotary motion associated with the storm was “still rather weak.” Rotary motion in a thunderstorm may be a sign of an incipient tornado or one that is forming.
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