The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in Arlington on the night of July 1, near the intersection of Lee Highway and Glebe Road.
The tornado – rated an EF1 with maximum winds of 90 mph – moved east through Arlington neighborhoods, including Waverly Hills and Cherrydale, before traveling into the District of Columbia, Arlington government officials said.
It was part of a strong weather pattern that sent fierce storms into the region, toppling trees and causing about 5,000 residential power outages. Arlington fire personnel handled one technical rescue, required when a tree toppled onto a house.
Tornados are rare but not unheard of in the Washington region. A number have touched down in Arlington over the past three decades, most doing relatively minimal damage.