Countywide

Thousands of Fairfax residents still lack power after Thursday’s storm

By Angela Woolsey
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Thousands of people in Fairfax County are still without electricity after a quick but powerful storm swept through the D.C. area yesterday (Thursday).

While some major outages were addressed last night, Dominion Energy still has 163 projects affecting 10,356 customers in Fairfax County to address, as of 10:40 a.m., according to its outage map.

The most significant outages appear to still be in the northern part of the county, particularly the Great Falls area. A crew is currently working on one project that would restore power for 2,034 customers, though Dominion hasn’t determined an estimated restoration time yet.

A power outage is affecting Clemyjontri Park in McLean, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority. As of 1 p.m., the visitor centers at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly and Riverbend Park in Great Falls remained closed due to power outages.

Riverbend Park’s marina is also closed “due to high water levels.” In addition, the park authority is dealing with bathroom issues at Sully Historic Site and a light outage at the Hidden Pond Nature Center’s tennis courts in West Springfield.

“While Sully’s bathroom closure and [the] Hidden Pond tennis courts lights being out originated prior to the storm, the impact of the heavy rain and power line problem in Dominion Power’s purview has extended the conditions,” FCPA spokesperson Daidria Grayson said.

The park authority advises visitors to call each park directly or monitor its Park Alerts website and social media pages for updates.

At the height of the storm, which hit the county around 4 p.m., more than 70,000 residents and businesses lost power. The outages took out traffic lights, and many businesses on the south side of Maple Avenue in Vienna, for example, were forced to close.

After enlisting assistance from South Carolina-based crews and contractors, Dominion Energy says its staff has managed to restore power to more than 80% of the 280,000 customers across Virginia who were affected by the storm.

“Most customers affected will be restored by 11 p.m. this evening with some of the hardest hit areas extending into tomorrow. We appreciate your patience,” the utility said.

Dominion advises people to stay away at least 30 feet away from any downed lines, which can be reported by calling 1-866-366-4357. Power outages can be reported through the utility’s website and mobile app.

Yesterday’s storm also caused significant tree damage, with winds reportedly reaching up to 66 mph at Dulles International Airport. According to the Capital Weather Gang, trees blocked the entrance roads to Great Falls Park in both McLean and Potomac, Maryland, preventing visitors from leaving the parking lots.

Fallen trees and branches were also spotted on the Capital Beltway, I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road. In Springfield, a “massive” tree took down power lines on Old Keene Mill Road near Irving Middle School, ABC7News reported.

The Fairfax County Park Authority notes that the storm might’ve brought trees down in its parks and along its trails, advising visitors to “use caution” and report any issues through its website or via email (FCPAParkMaintenance@fairfaxcounty.gov).

About the Author

  • Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.