Hunter Mill Road is temporarily closed, and hundreds of Reston residents have lost power after a fallen tree took out a power line.
“Officers are on scene at the intersection of Hunter Mill Road and Sunrise Valley Drive for a tree that fell onto a power line, causing sparking in the roadway,” the Fairfax County Police Department said.
Hunter Mill Road, a key route during rush hour for commuters traveling between Reston and the Vienna/Oakton area, was blocked off by police down to Lawyers Road, as of 5 p.m.
“Dominion Energy is on scene, and crews are working to secure the area and address the hazard,” the FCPD said.
More than 700 customers in south Reston lost electricity as a result of the tree damaging the power lines, according to Dominion Energy’s outage map. The utility is currently estimating that power will be restored by 8 p.m.
The tree might’ve been affected by the strong winds that have been blowing throughout the D.C. region today (Monday). Those conditions are expected to persist until around 8 p.m. this evening, the National Weather Service says.
The full “Special Weather Statement” from the NWS is below.
…OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH THROUGH EARLY EVENING…
* WHAT…Northwest winds 20 to 25 mph with occasional gusts of 40 to 50 mph.
* WHERE…The Washington DC to Fredericksburg including central MD and northern VA.
* WHEN…Until 8 PM EDT this evening.
* IMPACTS…Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
Secure outdoor objects.
