Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Virginia, April 9, 2001

Name: Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Virginia, April 9, 2001
Start: 2001-04-09T19:45
End: 2001-04-09T20:45
Location: Virginia

April 9, 2001 · NWS LWX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A cold front across the region on the 9th became the focus for evening thunderstorms. Some storms produced winds in excess of 58 MPH and frequent lightning.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $500
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.

A cold front across the region on the 9th became the focus for evening thunderstorms. Some storms produced winds in excess of 58 MPH and frequent lightning. In Loudoun County, high winds downed a tree in Arcola. Lightning struck a home in Hamilton and Lovettsville and downed a 400 year old tree in Aldie. At Pentagon City in Arlington County, a townhouse under construction partially collapsed after strong winds moved through. Across the northern half of Virginia, storm related wind gusts included 47 MPH in Charlottesville, 45 MPH at Washington Reagan National Airport, 42 MPH at New Market in Shenandoah County, and 41 MPH at Herndon in Fairfax County.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 9, 6:28 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 9, 6:28 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
728 PM EDT MON APR 9 2001

QUICK ZN UPDATE FOR SVR TSTM WATCH ISSUED THRU MIDNIGHT.

FCSTID = 13...PAP

.LWX...
DC...SVR $TSTM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
MD...SVR TSTM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT EXCEPT ST MARYS COUNTY.
VA...SVR TSTM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT EXCEPT SOUTHERN TIER OF
COUNTIES.
WV...SVR TSTM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 9, 6:00 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

MDZ002>004-WVZ048>052-092300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON
700 PM EDT MON APR 9 2001

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 AM...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO WESTERN MARYLAND AND THE
EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA BETWEEN 7 AND 9:30 THIS EVENING.
SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.f

STRONG

Special weather statement, Apr 9, 6:49 PM EST, 56 minutes before

MDZ005>007-009>011-VAZ028-031-042-WVZ048>050-055-090100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON
749 PM EDT MON APR 9 2001

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN MARYLAND AND THE
EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA BETWEEN 7:45 AND 9:30 THIS EVENING.
SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. STAY
TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

STRONG

Special weather statement, Apr 9, 7:11 PM EST, 34 minutes before

DCZ001-MDZ009>011-013-014-016-018-VAZ026>031-039>042-051>055-WVZ054-
100400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON
811 PM EDT MON APR 9 2001

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS MARYLAND...THE EASTERN
PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA...AND VIRGINIA BETWEEN 8 AND 12 TONIGHT.
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND
.WILL ALSO DROP TEMPERATURES 20 DEGREES.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
MILES AN HOUR AND LARGE HAIL. STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

STRONG

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 18 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Loudoun

When: April 9, 7:45 PM EST to 8:45 PM EST
Where: Loudoun County, Countywide
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.091, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck 2 homes and a 400 year old tree.

Thunderstorm Wind, Loudoun

When: April 9, 7:55 PM EST
Where: Loudoun County, Arcola
Property damage: $500
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.950, -77.533

A tree was downed.

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Virginia in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, April 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5240064, 5240063.