F3 tornado devastates Maryland

Morgan Newton | April 17, 2017

COLLEGE PARK, Md.- A reported F3 categorized tornado hit parts of College Park at
approximately 8:30 a.m. Several local businesses have been affected and over half of the
community does not have electricity.

The tornado struck some very heavily populated areas that youre probably aware of, said
Mayor Lara. It was Route 1 and Knox Road that really has the most damage that weve seen.

Injured civilians are being transported to Prince Georges Hospital. There are currently two
dozen civilians being treated there. According to emergency services there have been 4 reported
fatalities within the last hour. All overflow of injured civilians are being transported to Holy
Cross and Washington Hospitals.

The National Weather Service believes the cause of the tornado to be string a thunderstorms that
have been hovering around the area. They are working diligently to stay ahead of the storm and
keep communities updated.

Emergency services are currently trying to rescue firefighters that are trapped in Mowatt Garage
on the College Park campus. With several power lines down, its been a difficult task for other
emergency personnel to rescue them, as well as others who may be trapped.

Maryland governor, Larry Hogan has issued a state of emergency for Prince Georges County..
Mayor Lara advises residents of the area continue to call 911 and stay away from windows and
off of the streets.

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