Power Outages Remain After Storm

More than 50,000 homes and businesses remained without power this morning despite round-the-clock efforts by utility crews following the violent string of thunderstorms that struck the Washington area Wednesday afternoon.

Montgomery and Prince George's counties reopened their school systems today, and Fairfax County, which was forced to close 27 schools mid-day yesterday because of power problems, said six elementary schools and Langley High School would not open this morning.

Power companies said the vast majority of people who were affected by the storms have their electricity repaired, and they hope to have nearly all restored today. But some scattered areas may not have power until Saturday.

That power will come in handy today, when many families will be hoping to run their air conditioning as a sweltering weekend approaches. A high pressure system over the Washington area will usher in summer conditions--high heat and humidity. The National Weather Service reports that temperatures today could reach near 90 degrees and it has issued an excessive heat watch for the weekend.

With forecasts of higher temperatures, utility companies faced concerns that air conditioners working overtime, coupled with outage restorations, could cause more problems, said Le-Ha Anderson, a Dominion Virginia Power spokeswoman. She said customers without power should turn off all appliances except for one lamp. After power is restored, she advised turning back on "only those they need, and then don't crank their air conditioners down too low."

"We don't want to overload the system," Anderson said.

From Chesapeake Beach to Herndon, residents yesterday surveyed damage to houses battered by falling limbs and trees. The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado with gusts up to 85 mph touched down in Chesapeake Beach, peeling siding and portions of roofs from several houses and uprooting trees. A small tornado also hit Clarke County, Va., and officials continued to check reports that the storm spawned tornadoes in Fairfax County, Falls Church and Southern Maryland.

In Anne Arundel County, authorities said a 90-year-old woman was critically injured when her home caught fire in the storm. Four men working for a Maryland State Highway Administration contractor in Calvert County were injured by flying debris, and two remained hospitalized yesterday afternoon.

Power outages also disrupted schedules for thousands of area students yesterday. Fairfax schools opened yesterday, then dismissed students early, causing confusion and consternation among some parents. Montgomery and Prince George's counties canceled class yesterday, and several other districts closed only buildings without power. Many Montgomery schools with final exams set for today postponed them until Monday.

At Chesapeake Beach in Calvert, residents who spotted the tornado described trees uprooted and swirling as if in a blender. George Klein, owner of Tyler's Tackle Shop and Crab House, said that when the shop's windows burst, the flying glass cut a customer's neck. He drove the man, who needed 20 stitches, to a hospital.

Gary Luckett, who owns Traders Seafood, Steak and Ale in Chesapeake Beach, was proudly attending his daughter's high school graduation Wednesday, so he ignored his cellphone's nonstop buzzing. After she accepted her diploma, he took a call and learned that a portion of the restaurant's roof was torn off in the storm. The family had planned to have the graduation party there.

In Chesapeake Beach and communities across the Washington region, neighbors and local governments began assessing damage, contacting insurance companies and cleaning up. Luckett brought in refrigerator trucks to hold the restaurant's food. Chain saws growled as trees were cut up.