Major tree damage seen in Burke from Monday evening storms

A severe thunderstorm charged through central and southern Fairfax County Monday, unleashing damaging winds and hail. The fierce winds toppled trees and wires and cut power to thousands.

In Burke, where damage was most severe, high winds also sheared off home siding and shingles. Some trees fell onto homes and vehicles. The social media video below shows the extent of the tree damage in one area (warning: strong language):

Many readers have asked if a tornado was responsible for the damage but initial indications are that it was caused by straight line winds, initiated by thunderstorm downbursts – or intense gusts that crashed into the ground from high altitudes.

A preliminary analysis of the radar imagery from the storm "did not show rotation, but straight line wind pattern," the National Weather Service wrote in a Slack message. However, the Weather Service is surveying the damage in Burke on Tuesday to make a final assessment on its cause.

Downburst winds can be as strong as tornadoes rated 0 or 1 on the 0 to 5 Enhanced Fujita Scale.

In addition to the damage in Fairfax County, the storms brought down trees in Prince William and Charles counties, where a pair of tornado warnings were issued. The Weather Service has yet to determine whether any twisters actually touched down. A wind gust of 69 mph was clocked in Quantico, Virginia.

The line of damaging storms continued across the Chesapeake Bay, prompting several tornado warnings on the Eastern Shore. A funnel cloud was observed in Bridgeville, Delaware.

Here are some more photos and video of the damage around Burke:

@capitalweather.com my neighborhood in Fairfax is completely destroyed. Almost all of the trees are down. Multiple neighbors spotted a tornado.

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— Mara Surridge (@marasurridge.bsky.social) June 22, 2026 at 6:03 PM