Significant damage has been reported in the St. Louis metro Friday after a tornado-warned storm moved through the area.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – Two people were killed Friday as severe thunderstorms swept through the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, producing near-hurricane-force wind gusts, lightning and torrential rainfall.
The storms caused widespread damage and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands across Northern Virginia, D.C., and Maryland.
According to first responders, the most damage came from falling trees, with dozens of reports from across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In two separate incidents in Fairfax County, toppled trees led to fatal crashes, which were being investigated by police.
The Storm Prediction Center issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the region and noted that the area was at risk for hail and damaging winds.
One of the highest wind gusts was recorded at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where winds reached 69 mph, the National Weather Service reported.
Tree down in Fairfax County, VA.
(Fairfax County / FOX Weather)
AT LEAST 4 KILLED IN ST. LOUIS METRO AFTER TORNADO-WARNED STORM CAUSES EXTENSIVE DAMAGE
According to outage tracking data, approximately 200,000 customers were without electricity across the D.C. area by late Friday, with the hardest-hit areas being Fairfax and Alexandria in Northern Virginia.
In several neighborhoods around the capital, large limbs landed on vehicles and homes, but there were no additional reports of significant injuries.
Despite ominous clouds, no tornadoes were reported in the D.C. area as of Friday evening, raising the possibility that microbursts were responsible for some of the damage.
D.C. area weather radar on 5/16/2025
(Iowa Mesonet / FOX Weather)
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Most of the tornadic activity was concentrated farther west, in parts of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, where the SPC received nearly two dozen reports of twisters throughout the day.
The FOX Forecast Center warned that another round of storms could arrive on Saturday as the storm system over the heartland moves eastward.
St. Louis police reported four people were killed, and several others injured as severe storms raced through eastern Missouri, triggering Tornado Warnings.
A Dust Storm Warning was issued for Chicago on Friday as powerful winds stirred up dust beginning in Central Illinois.
