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Washington, DC Faces Tornado Watch

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Jon Brown Associate Editor
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Washington, D.C., faced a tornado watch Sunday afternoon, as a severe storm system moved in from the south, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

The thunderstorms brought the possibility of heavy rain, flooding, damaging winds and hail.

Residents of the southern part of nearby Frederick County, Maryland, faced an even stronger tornado warning, and were encouraged to seek shelter and keep windows shut.

There were reportedly “two lines of storms” expected to hit Sunday evening, into Monday morning, according to NBC Washington.

With only eight on record, tornadoes are exceedingly rare in the nation’s capital. The first recorded instance of a D.C. tornado took place on Aug. 25, 1814, on the day British troops set fire to the Capitol and White House during the War of 1812. At least 30 people were reportedly injured and killed, including some soldiers, who were hit with flying debris.

The strongest tornado known to have hit Maryland was an F4 that touched down in La Plata, on April 28, 2002.