What began as a severe thunderstorm quickly escalated into a nightmarish scenario for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland on Wednesday evening. A powerful tornado touched down and proceeded to cut a 45-mile-long path of utter devastation across the suburbs northwest of Washington D.C.
The first ominous sign came around 7:00 p.m. when the National Weather Service confirmed a tornadic rotation had formed on the ground near the town of Poolesville. Later on, the violent twister tore its way eastward, gathering strength and leaving broken trees, shattered homes and trapped survivors in its wake.
Eyewitness accounts obtained from NBC News 4 revealed just how intense and chaotic the experience was as the tornado barreled through.
“It just looked an eerie color and then all of a sudden it happened really fast,” recalled one shaken resident in Dogwood Drive who had taken shelter in their basement with loved ones. “We heard the foundation kind of shake.”
Another area that was affected by the tornado is the Gaithersburg neighborhood of East Deer Park. A social media user, Mark Monis, was able to capture it’s movement through their dash cam.
Despite it all, no lives were lost according to Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman. “Some minor injuries, but no loss of life, thank goodness!” he posted on X.
Other parts of Maryland that were placed under tornado warnings are Essex, Harford County, Baltimore County and Dundalk.
