The cleanup continues in the aftermath of several tornadoes and storms that rattled the D.C. area Friday morning, capping off more than two days of heavy rain.

The National Weather Service announced Friday night that tornadoes touched down in the D.C. area earlier in the day.

In Virginia, a tornado was confirmed in Leesburg in Loudoun County. In Maryland, two tornadoes were confirmed in Montgomery County, one in Carroll County, one in Frederick County and one near Cecil County.

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The tornadoes were part of a stormy, cold and windy Friday that featured multiple tornado and high wind warnings. The winds downed trees, knocked out power and caused severe damage throughout the region.

Damage

Severe wind and tree damage was reported in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday, according to Storm Team4 meteorologist Matt Ritter. There was also damage in western Montgomery County, Maryland, after rain and winds passed through.

“We have seen a fair amount of damage across the area,” National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Pallozzi said.

Pallozzi said that trees and wires blocked several roads in northeastern Loudoun County, including Leesburg, as well as in western Montgomery County. He added that this type of storm during the winter in the area is not very common.

“We can get tornadoes in February, but also it鈥檚 not the most typical thing,” Pallozzi said.

Courtesy Luke Heidelberger

Courtesy Luke Heidelberger

草莓传媒/Dave Dildine

Courtesy Luke Heidelberger

Courtesy Luke Heidelberger

草莓传媒/Kristi King

草莓传媒/Kristi King

Courtesy Amanda Warner

Courtesy Amanda Warner

Courtesy Amanda Warner

Courtesy Amanda Warner

Courtesy @thereelray on Twitter.

Courtesy @vso21703

Courtesy @bdwy27 on Twitter

Leesburg 鈥�

— Ray (@thereelray)

Trees down on Clark Ct in Leesburg. Lots of damage from high wind 鈥�

— Megan McGrath (@MeganMcGrath4)

Plaza Street near Leesburg Elementary.

— Sarah Mullikin (@sarahemanns)

Leesburg Va

— victoria smothers (@itsmequeenvee)

(1/18)

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Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell noted that Feb. 7 was the earliest ever tornado warning for the D.C.-Baltimore area.

Kristi Rich, who lives in the area of Fieldstone Drive in Leesburg, said that she had just left the house when the storm hit, but that her husband told her he witnessed a “wall of water” that came through the rows of town houses where they live.

“There鈥檚 a lot of debris, some downed trees and several homes had fencing damage,” Rich said. “One home in particular had the siding ripped off of the side of the home and you can see the attic.”

One Leesburg resident, who declined to give his name, said he opened his front door, and “the ruckus” he heard outside made him “go down the basement for the first time of my life because I thought something was happening.”

Robert Porter, of Ruppert Landscape, was on the scene working with local police and fire departments to help clear downed trees from both roadways and power lines.

“There was a tree split, but still standing, that was hanging toward a building. We had to take it down,” he said. “Now, we’re just trying to clear access in case any emergency vehicles have to come through.”

Porter said the storm reminded him of Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

Montgomery County Fire and EMS spokesman Pete Piringer said Germantown, Poolesville, Boyds and Dickerson in Maryland were hit the hardest with several roads closed due to debris, wires and trees in the road.

Route 109 between Interstate 270 and Frederick Road remained closed late Friday morning, after a branch crashed through the windshield of a car, just missing the driver, according to Piringer.

“Throughout all of this we have had a number of collisions, car crashes, large branches and trees falling on cars,” Piringer said. “It’s pretty significant damage.”

He said there were no injuries reported.

Officer Michael Drogin with Leesburg police said heavy rain and winds were not a great combination in the area, with trees down throughout the town. Crews have been dispatched. There were no reports of injuries so far.

The NWS says this an “an atypical event” for February.

Barksdale Drive, Leesburg no power being reported.

鈥� Lauryn Ricketts (@laurynricketts)

Temperatures on Friday dropped into the 40s into the 30s, as winds increased — a stark contrast to earlier in the week when temperatures rose into the 60s.

The weekend will be cloudy but dry.

“Enjoy the dry weekend because rain chances return for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week,” Bell said.

Nationally, Friday’s weather destroyed mobile homes in Mississippi and Alabama, caused mudslides in Tennessee and Kentucky and flooded communities that shoulder waterways across the Appalachian region, killing five.

Power Outages

Thousands in Northern Virginia and Maryland were without power on Friday.

At one point, Dominion Energy said 10,000 homes had lost power, mostly in Fairfax, Fauquier and Loudoun counties.

In Fairfax County, some outages were due to a crash on Route 7 near South Walter Reed Drive involving downed wires.

Pepco’s peak outages hit 1,700, but by Friday night, the number was fewer than 100.

First Energy’s power outage peaked at 4,800 in Frederick and Carroll counties.

Check out the power outage map below for details.

Forecast

After the rain, comes the sun. It will be partly sunny on Saturday with some isolated sprinkles and flurries possible at night. On Sunday, it will be cloudy but dry.

Saturday: Increasing clouds. Seasonably chilly. Diminishing winds. Highs in the low to mid 40s.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy and seasonably chilly. Some afternoon sun, but highs only reach the mid 40s.

惭辞苍诲补测:听Cloudy and but warmer with rain. Highs in the low 50s.

Current weather:

草莓传媒’s Sandra Salathe, Dan Friedell and Abigail Constantino contributed to this report.

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“We do not believe there is any further threat to our community,” Anne Arundel County police tweeted out just after 3 p.m. They’re still collecting evidence in the case, police told 草莓传媒, and there is still a lot of work to do.

Police had urged the suspect who shot two of their detectives to turn himself in during a news conference Thursday morning. “We need you to come and turn yourself in. You need to come in and end this lunacy before another person gets hurt,” county police Chief Timothy Altomare said.

Around 50 officers went door-to-door Thursday morning in the neighborhoods of Stoney Beach and Orchard Beach to protect area residents and find the suspect, who was believed to be armed and dangerous, Altomare had said.

The incident began around 5 p.m. Wednesday as a homicide investigation in the 600 block of Newfield Road in Glen Burnie, where responding officers found a man dead on the scene with upper body trauma. Investigators learned that the victim’s vehicle was missing.

Then, around 11 p.m., detectives found the vehicle in Baltimore City, close to the county line. Police聽said the suspect was driving the victim’s car.

One detective conducted a traffic stop, when the suspect shot him. Another detective chased the suspect to Stoney Beach. That detective was also shot, and the suspect escaped on foot.

As of Thursday evening, both detectives are “out of surgery and taking the first steps on the road to recovery,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman tweeted just after 5 p.m.

Earlier, one of the detectives was in “critical but stable condition” and the other was in stable condition, said county police spokeswoman Sgt. Jacklyn Davis.

Detective Scott Ballard is a 22-year veteran in the criminal investigation and fugitive apprehension department. Detective Ian Preece is a 13-year veteran working in homeland security investigations. They are being treated at the same hospital.

I am pleased to announce that our brave Detectives Scott Ballard and Ian Preece are out of surgery and taking the first steps on the road to recovery. Their families are with them and making sure they have support. Let鈥檚 all continue to send positive thoughts their way!

鈥� County Executive Steuart Pittman (@AACoExec)

In Thursday morning’s news conference, Altomare said it was too early to name the suspect or pinpoint the relationship between the suspect and the homicide victim found in Glen Burnie.

The search for the suspect had closed schools Thursday in the northeast cluster of the county. All other schools operated on normal hours. “We closed the schools for a reason,” Altomare had said. “The less people on the street, the better. It makes everybody safer. Stay inside if you can.”

Anyone with information about this case can call the police criminal investigation line at (410) 222-3566.

草莓传媒’s Michelle Basch contributed to this report.聽

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“Mike Bloomberg is the only candidate who will unify the country and defeat Donald Trump and has a blueprint to rebuild America and improve the quality of life for all Americans,” Bowser announced in a tweet early Thursday morning.

We can resolve our most pressing problems if we have the right leader to turn innovative ideas into reality is a problem-solver with a proven track record of getting things done. He鈥檚 a mentor & friend & I鈥檓 proud to endorse him for president.

鈥� Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser)

The endorsement comes about a week after Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, publicly announced support for D.C. statehood during the United States Conference of Mayors, which draws hundreds of mayors to the District every winter.

All of the top-polling Democrats in the presidential race have also voiced support for D.C. statehood, including Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.

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A Maryland resident is undergoing testing for a possible case of coronavirus, the state’s Department of Health announced Monday evening. And, in Virginia, George Mason University has confirmed that one of its students is awaiting testing results after exhibiting symptoms of the virus.

The Maryland resident “is in good condition and is being monitored while awaiting test results, to be reported by the CDC laboratory,” the state’s Health Department said in a release Monday.

The department said the resident “met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for testing” for the virus.

But, so far, Maryland does not have any confirmed cases of the virus, 2019-nCoV. Maryland residents can follow up-to-date information .

Earlier Monday, two out of three patients in Virginia who were under investigation for possibly being infected with the new coronavirus have tested negative, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed.

The two people from central Virginia do not have the 2019-nCoV infection, officials said.

With the patient under investigation in Northern Virginia, health department officials said the results from tests being performed by the CDC are expected to come later this week.

George Mason University later confirmed Monday that the Northern Virginia patient under investigation is one of its students, but that they do not live on campus and is “self-isolating” as testing results are being processed.

“At this time, the current risk to the public and the Mason community remains low, and the university has been advised that additional precautions are not necessary,” the university said in a statement. “To mitigate the spread of this disease, the university is monitoring university-related and university-sponsored travel to China.”

“At this time, Virginia continues to have no confirmed cases of [coronavirus],” the Virginia Department of Health said in an earlier statement Monday. “VDH will continue to work with the CDC and local partners to detect and respond to any possible cases that might occur in Virginia.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that local health authorities have responded to these travel-related cases quite well.

“The individuals were isolated, and the people they’ve come into contact with were screened. These are classical public health measures,” he said.

Coronavirus: What you need to know

On Monday afternoon, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its online advisory to tell travelers to avoid non-essential travel to any part of China, The Associated Press reported.

Previously, the agency advised travelers to avoid any non-essential travel to Wuhan or other parts of Hubei province, the center of an international outbreak of a new viral illness. But that didn鈥檛 extend to the rest of China.

Fauci said the new advisory is the “appropriate thing to do and very prudent,” given the situation that’s going on in China.

The new virus causes mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illness, like the common cold. Its symptoms include fever, cough and trouble breathing, and can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.

Authorities announced that 2,744 people had fallen ill and 80 had died from the new virus first found in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, according to The Associated Press.

There are no new treatments, specifically against this novel corona virus, and the treatment is essentially symptomatic and supportive, Fauci said.

“Physicians who are caring for these individuals are giving them supportive therapy with oxygen, pulmonary type of treatments, as well as, perhaps if things get really serious, intubation to assist them with breathing,” Fauci said.

Fauci said there are some experimental drugs that to combat the virus, but they have not been proven to have any efficacy.

Learn more about coronavirus through the

草莓传媒’s Teta Alim, Mike Murillo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.聽

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A man from Manassas driving a 2010 Explorer Sport-Trac was traveling north on Jefferson Davis Highway around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, when he struck Giovanni Crystalgo Caballeros, 23, just past the intersection with Quantico Gateway Drive, according to a news release from Prince William County officials.

Caballeros was taken to a hospital and died of his injuries on Sunday. He was not on a designated sidewalk when he was hit, the release said.

The vehicle remained on the scene and the driver was not injured. Speed, alcohol and drug use were not factors in the crash, investigators said.

Below is a map of the area where the incident happened.

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The parade will close roads in Southeast.

The following streets will be posted as emergency no parking until 2:30 p.m.:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE from Good Hope Road to Malcolm X Avenue, SE.

The following streets will be close to vehicle traffic from around 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue from Good Hope Road to Malcolm X Avenue, SE;
• U Street from 13th Street to Shannon Place, SE;
• V Street from 13th Street to Shannon Place, SE;
• W Street from 13th Street to Shannon Place, SE;
• Pleasant Street from 13th Street to MLK Avenue, SE;
• Maple View Place from Mt. View Place to MLK Avenue, SE;
• Morris Road from Mt. View Place to MLK Avenue, SE;
• Talbert Street from Mt. View Place to Shannon Place, SE;
• Howard Road from Sayles Place to MLK Avenue, SE;
• Stanton Road from Wade Road to Suitland Parkway, SE.

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Javon Gunter, 18, of Southwest D.C., was arrested Friday and faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Thomas Johnson, 15, of Southeast D.C.

The shooting happened around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 near Half Street SW between N Street and O Street. Police responded around 1:15 p.m. to the housing complex a few blocks west of Nationals Park for reported gunshots.

There they found Johnson unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.

An affidavit from D.C. Superior Court says when Johnson was discovered on the scene, he was in possession of a PNC Bank card he had allegedly robbed from someone days before.

The robbery happened along the 32000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Southeast just days before Johnson was killed.

The robbery victim, a juvenile whose name was not released, said he was sitting at a bus stop when two suspects approached him and demanded property. He handed over credit and debit cards, a cellphone and his sneakers, the victim told police.

A day after the victim and his mother were interviewed by police, they reported that one of the suspects, Johnson, was killed on Oct. 9 and that the other robber had posted photos wearing the victim’s sneakers on social media after the robbery.

Johnson was among the three people in the photo posted to Instagram. He was seated on a washing machine and the word 鈥渒illed鈥� was typed over his leg, according to court documents.

Johnson鈥檚 killing was one of several early October shootings that triggered city police鈥檚 鈥渇all crime initiative.鈥� It also led to protests by local students against gun violence in Anacostia.

Below, see a map of the area where the shooting happened:

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On Thursday, temperatures will reach the mid-30s, but wind chills are in the 5- to 15-degree range, said Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell. The winds will die down later in the afternoon.

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“You can thank (or blame) Canada for this. High pressure from Hudson Bay has been blowing into the area all night and we will stay much colder than the average for the next several days because of it,” Bell said.

Bundle up 鈥� and don’t let the sunshine fool you on the way out. There will be 100% sunshine Thursday but with the winter solstice nearing, that only means a total of nine hours and 27 minutes of daylight, says Bell.

Blustery and cold today, despite sunshine.

鈥� NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash)

Forecast

Expect a bitter cold early Friday morning. The urban areas of the D.C. region will be in the low 20s while the rural areas and valleys will see as low as the mid-10s.

A high temperature of 40 is expected through the day.

There is a silver lining to all the cold: There will be no weather worries for travelers from the D.C. area and northward, Bell said. However, there will be a heavy rain threat for most of Florida, Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas.

Related: Christmas, New Year鈥檚 airport travel rush starts this weekend

Thursday: Sunny, cold and breezy. Wind chills from 15 to 25. Highs in the mid-30s.

Thursday night: Clears skies, light wind and very cold. Lows in the mid-20s.

Friday: Sunny and cold with a light breeze. Highs reach the 40s.

Saturday: Partly sunny and cold with a light breeze. Highs in the low-40s.

Sunday: Partly cloudy with a light breeze, but not as cold. Highs in the upper-40s.

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What exactly is pickleball, you ask? It’s like tennis or Ping-Pong, but at a slower pace, making it suitable for active seniors.

It’s also the “fastest growing sport in America,” according to , the locally-owned and operated company that signed the lease for the state-of-the-art facility on Tuesday. The Pickleballerz arena will open in the spring of 2020.

All the action will happen at a 20,000-square-foot facility at 14424 Albemarle Point Place in Chantilly. It includes six courts designed with cushioned floors “designed to ensure superior traction while being less stressful on players鈥� knees and other joints.”

Makeshift and temporary pickleball courts are offered at rec centers, tennis courts, senior centers and multi-sports complexes, but those courts are typically hard gym floors, wood or asphalt. The upcoming Pickleballerz facility promises to be much more joint-friendly.

Pickleballerz will be open to the public and will offer membership options for special court and activity rates. Members and nonmembers can join in on the fun through drop-in play, competitive ad recreational pickleball leagues, classes clinics, tournaments and more.

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A winter weather advisory is in effect from midnight to 1 p.m. on Monday. The advisory includes Frederick, Carroll, Washington and Northwestern Montgomery counties in Maryland and Northern Fauquier and Western Loudoun in Virginia.

Ahead of the wintry weather, a few schools announced their closings Sunday night. Those schools include:

• Prince William County Public Schools

• Listen to 草莓传媒 online聽and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
• Current traffic conditions
• Weather forecast
• Closings and Delays
• Sign up for 草莓传媒 alerts

Storm Team4 Meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts said the less-than-pleasant weather will begin to roll into the region in the early morning hours of Monday, but the biggest impact is likely to be in areas north of Interstate 66.

Those commuting in and out of Frederick County, Northern Montgomery and Howard counties or Western Loudoun or Northern Fauquier should prepare for delays and issues on the road, Storm Team4 meteorologist Somara Theodore said.

The predawn hours may have light snow accumulations in those areas, but it will begin to change over to a wintry mix by around 7 a.m.

“The farther north you head toward the Mason Dixon Line, the higher chance of seeing 1 to 2 inches of snow,” Theodore said.

A wintry mix is expected to affect parts of the Mid-Atlantic late tonight into Monday. For the latest details and updates on accumulations and timing, please visit .

鈥� NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash)

The greater D.C. metro area may see a few brief snowflakes after midnight. It will change over to a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain for some parts.

“Accumulation is unlikely, and roads will remain wet. If anything sticks it will be on grassy surfaces before being washed away by rain around lunchtime,” Theodore said. “Delays are possible but less likely the farther south you head.”

As for those in southern Maryland and the northern neck–those areas will only see rain.

“You shouldn鈥檛 have to worry about delays but give yourself some time due to the rain,” Theodore said.

On Monday, temperatures will rise heading into the morning hours and the snow will turn to rain that will likely continue throughout the day. Highs temperatures should top out somewhere in the low 40s.

A warm front is predicted to move into the region overnight on Monday, and the showers will continue into Tuesday.

Expect a snow to wintry mix before sunrise changing to a mix during the AM commute mainly NW of DC. The Greater Washington area could have some accumulation on grassy surfaces, cars, etc but roads will be too warm. Changes to all rain happen after lunch

鈥� Lauryn Ricketts (@laurynricketts)

How road crews are preparing

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration has pretreated roads with brine, which prevents icing, and will continue to deploy resources Sunday night and through Monday morning.

“Motorists are encouraged to delay travel if possible and to exercise extreme caution on elevated surfaces such as ramps, bridges and overpasses, which freeze first,” MDOT said.

Plan tonight to adjust your morning commute due to pending rush hour snow. Check road conditions anytime at .

鈥� MD State Police (@MDSP)

Forecast

Sunday night:聽Cloudy and breezy with lows in the upper-30s.

Monday: Light snow and sleet developing after 2 a.m. Wintry mix in the morning turning to rain. Travel impacts north and west. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s.

Tuesday: Showers. Breezy and warmer. Highs in the mid-40s far north to mid-60s south.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, blustery and cold. Highs around 40.

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Officials said a man between the ages of 45 and 64 died in Baltimore Wednesday.

Last year, the Maryland Department of Health reported 54 cold-related deaths.

The Maryland Department of Health monitors temperature, weather conditions and incidences of cold-related illnesses and deaths in the state from November through March.

Cold-related illnesses include conditions like hypothermia and frostbite. Hypothermia is when the body’s temperature falls below 95 degrees. Frostbite refers to the freezing of body tissue that may happen when skin temperature is below 32 degrees.

鈥淎s temperatures continue to drop, Marylanders are urged to take every precaution to help prevent cold-related illnesses,鈥� said Deputy Secretary for Public Health Fran Phillips.

鈥淭ake care to limit your exposure to the cold. Wear layers if you go outside and contact your local health department if you need access to a warming center in your area.鈥�

More information on how to stay warm in cold weather can be found in

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Three families are without homes after a fire tore through three town houses in Montgomery County, Maryland, early Thursday morning.

It happened on the 11100 block of Columbia Pike near Prelude Drive in White Oak at 1 a.m.

Montgomery County Fire spokesman Pete Piringer said the fire broke out on the second floor of one of the houses and extended to two neighboring homes.

There are 10 adults, 5 kids, 3 dogs and 1 cat that are displaced because of the fire.

Around 85 firefighters were dispatched to the scene to fight the fire.

Significant fire and water damage is estimated to be up to $700,000.

The cause of the fire is still undetermined, but it is likely due to an electrical fire in the ceiling area above the second floor bathroom, Piringer said.

Fire officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

Below is a map of the area where the fire happened.

草莓传媒’s Teddy Gelman and Joan Muwahed contributed to this report.聽

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Vaughn Alexander Kosh, 38, of Northeast, was arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill.

The incident happened on the 1700 block of Capitol Avenue shortly after 5 a.m.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man suffering from gunshot and stab wounds. Two women were also found inside the home suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Alayna Dawnielle Howard, 38, of Northeast, died on the scene and was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The man and the other woman were taken to a hospital for treatment. No word on their condition.

Detectives determined that the incident happened inside of a residence.

Below is a map of the area where it happened.

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On the market for a new job? How about running for office? You’ll actually have to physically run 鈥� while wearing a giant president’s head.

through Wednesday, Dec. 11 for a chance to try out to join the 2020 Racing Presidents. Tryouts are by invite only.

The perfect candidate to be the next George, Tom, Abe or Teddy should be between 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet 6 inches tall and should be able to run about 200 yards in a 50-pound suit. Applicants should be able to make it out to at least 40% of all Nats games.

The presidential duties?

The presidents race in the mid-4th inning and greet fans at the gates before home games. Meet and greets with fans until the bottom of the 5th inning are also part of the job.

The racing presidents have been a mainstay at Nats games for last 14 seasons. It started as scoreboard feature that then “came to life” in 2006.

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