By Charles W. Hall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 29, 1992; Page C3

What was left of Hurricane Andrew, a storm that blasted and terrorized Florida and Louisiana this week, wilted on the way to the Washington area yesterday, losing its nerve, its force, and – in the words of one meteorologist – even its "identity."

"This stuff is just wimping along," said Ken Reeves, senior meteorologist for Accu-Weather, a private forecasting service. Reeves said some forecasters' earlier predictions that Andrew's remnants would bring flooding across Virginia were "way overblown."

On Thursday, forecasters and emergency workers cast a wary eye at Andrew, noting that past Gulf storms have sometimes caused disaster farther north. In 1969, Hurricane Camille dropped up to 27 inches of rain in rural Virginia, causing floods and mudslides that killed 114 people. The remnants of Hurricane Agnes caused widespread flooding in 1972.

But yesterday, the front that had been Andrew combined with another storm system to produce what seemed to be a routine summer shower.

The most significant local impact was felt in northern Howard County, where a tornado touched down near West Friendship about 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

A tree toppled by the tornado damaged a house there in the 3800 block of Walt-Ann Drive, Howard County fire officials said. They said a woman in the house was injured but her injuries did not appear serious.

The weather service also received reports of several sightings of possible tornados and funnel clouds elsewhere in northern and central Maryland and on the Eastern Shore, according to Barbara McNaught, warning preparedness meteorologist for the weather service's Washington forecast office.

At one point, electricity was interrupted to about 3,000 customers in Howard and Montgomery counties served by Baltimore Gas and Electric, while power was cut to as many as 4,000 customers served by the Potomac Electric Power Co.

Along the Blue Ridge mountains yesterday, rural communities that were expected to receive up to five inches of rain got only one to two inches and were enjoying sunny skies by midafternoon.

"There's nothing but a little flooding on the roads. It's just a routine summer storm," said Chuck Stiltner, emergency services coordinator for rural Buchanan County. Stiltner said the mountain community, in the far southwestern corner of the state, recorded 1.4 inches of rain.

In the Washington area, moderate rains fell during rush hour, but Virginia State Police reported no street flooding or serious accidents.

Forecasters said that Andrew's remnants were absorbed into an unrelated storm front originating in the Midwest, just as it was heading northeast through Virginia.

"It virtually disappeared. Andrew gave up his identity and merged into a larger system," said Patrick Michaels, Virginia's state climatologist.

The combined storm was a gentler weather system than Andrew's remnants would have been alone, Michaels said. In addition, forecasters said, the storm moved unusually swiftly, never pausing long enough to dump much rain in any one place.

Forecasters said the storm would give way to sunny and clear skies today.

"You can put this one to bed," Michaels said. "It's going to be a nice day on Saturday, and no one will even remember Andrew was here."

Staff writer Dan Beyers contributed to this report.