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Winds batter Sandy Point

Thunderstorms and likely microburst give Sandy Point residents abrupt start to week

Date published: 8/27/2009

By Rob Hedelt

BECAUSE it was his 90th birthday Monday, Jimmy Gray knew he was in for a special day at his Sandy Point cottage in Westmoreland County.

He just didn't expect things to get started at 4 a.m. He was awakened to an explosive sound from above as winds from a severe thunderstorm toppled several tall, thick pines and sent them crashing through his roof.

"I was in World War II and know what a 40 mm cannon sounds like going off, and that was the sound we woke up to," said Gray. "We got out of bed and found there was water running down into the house."

Gray was one of a handful of folks who local officials say suffered property damage from wind gusts, including a likely microburst, connected to the storm that left piles of large hail and a swath of damage to the line of homes along the Potomac River.

Jeff Beasley, deputy emergency services coordinator for the county, said damage from the storm was mainly located in the upper Sandy Point area, though trees and power lines were down from Hague to Kinsale.

"It seemed like it dipped down, cut out a little swath of damage and then died out," said Beasley.

Rick Curry, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Wakefield, said the office was relying on the local emergency officials' indication of straight-line damage to indicate the destructive winds were likely that of a microburst.

He explained that a microburst is an extreme downward burst of wind that occurs when a storm starts collapsing.

"All of a sudden, you get that cold burst of air," he said. "It's kind of like pouring water out of a bucket. If you happen to be at the spot where it comes down initially, wind bursts can be from 50 to 60 miles an hour."

Ruth "Sally" Brownley said she knew trouble was coming when she heard a horrible roar that made her wonder if her whole house was being ripped apart.

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Date published: 8/27/2009