Powerful wind gusts buffet Washington region; many without power

High winds — fierce, powerful and damaging — swept across the Washington region late Saturday, tearing down trees and limbs, scattering debris and leaving thousands of people without power.

One gust, reported at Dulles International Airport, reached 66 mph, and many places reported gusts of more than 50 mph.

As the storm moved inside the Capital Beltway around 10:30 p.m., the National Weather Service urged residents to “stay inside a sturdy building.”

Houses shook and shuddered, especially in western parts of the area. “It was bad wind, as bad as I’ve ever seen in Northern Virginia,” said Reston resident Reed Meyer, calling the buffeting “derecho-esque,” in reference to the severe wind storm in June 2012.

At least two people in the District reported drywall and other construction material blowing around.

Dominion Virginia Power reported 26,000 Northern Virginia customers without electricity, and NOVEC said it had 4,000 outages.

The wind was expected to usher in a cold front and send temperatures plummeting.