EF- 1 tornado touches down in Virginia, leaving path of destruction

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – A tornado spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby touched down in Loudoun County, Virginia, on Thursday evening, cutting a nearly five-mile path of destruction.

The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado, rated an EF-1 with peak winds of 100 mph, struck just north of Willisville around 9:19 pm before moving west-northwest and eventually dissipating near Bluemont.

Although no injuries or fatalities were reported, the tornado left a significant mark on the rural landscape. According to the NWS, the tornado first caused scattered tree damage, snapping branches and uprooting trees as it moved through horse farms along Foxlease Lane and Newstead Lane.

The damage, although extensive, was mostly confined to trees, with no structures reported as being affected.

As the tornado approached Trappe Road, the extent of the destruction intensified. “Considerable tree damage was observed,” the NWS noted, particularly along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge, where a wide swath of forest was heavily impacted. The hillside saw hundreds of trees sheared off at the tops or uprooted entirely, with downed trees scattered in all directions.

The tornado continued its path toward Blue Ridge Mountain Road and Morgans Mill Road, where more trees were uprooted and damaged before the storm finally weakened and dissipated as it crossed into Clarke County.

The National Weather Service thanked residents of western Loudoun County for their cooperation in reporting the storm’s damage, as well as the Loudoun County Office of Emergency Management for their assistance in conducting the damage survey.