Thunderstorm Leaves Thousands Without Power

A powerful thunderstorm which swept through Hyattsville left parts of the city without power yesterday, forcing police to direct traffic through a number of major intersections and leaving thousands in the dark overnight.

By 3 a.m., according to power outage maps provided by Pepco, more than 25,000 customers remained without electricity. Of those, roughly 8,000 were in Hyattsville and its immediate surroundings, far higher than surrounding areas. 

Many residential streets in Hyattsville remained blocked by fallen trees and downed utility lines. After the storm, the city of Hyattsville alerted residents that the following streets were blocked. 

• 5600 block of 38th Avenue 
• 3200 block of Gumwood 
• Hamilton Street at 35th Avenue 
• 5600 block of 36th Avenue 
• Jefferson Street at 42nd Avenue

"Crews will clear any emergency situations tonight, but please be aware that downed power lines will await a response from Pepco, and removal of tree branches will likely continue into early Saturday morning," read a text-and-email alert sent to Hyattsville residents. "If you see any other dangerous conditions - tree limbs blocking the street or downed wires, please report them to the HCPD at 301/985-5060."

The storm blew west-to-east through the area between 7:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., shortly after the National Weather Service upgraded its to a .