THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, October 6, 1995                TAG: 9510060623
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   34 lines

HEAVY DAMAGE REPORTED AS TWISTER HITS NEAR D.C.

A tornado touched down in Maryland just outside Washington late Thursday; there were preliminary reports of severe damage and possibly some fatalities.

The National Weather Service in Washington said the twister formed over southern Charles County, Md., shortly after 8:30 p.m. and then cut through Prince Georges County between 9:15 p.m. and 10 p.m. It then tracked into northwest Anne Arundel County.

``We have received reports of extensive damage in all three counties,'' said Dewey Walston, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Washington. ``The worst appears to be in the Crossland High School area and Temple Hills and the Camp Springs area of Prince Georges County,'' Walston said.

He said there were reports from ham radio operators of ``considerable structural damage'' and of ``people trapped in their homes.''

Police confirmed a tornado touchdown and said there was damage, but said emergency crews were still responding and that the extent of damage was unclear.

Police said there were widespread power outages in areas hit by the storm, generated by the remnants of Hurricane Opal.

A tornado watch was in effect when the storm hit. ILLUSTRATION: Map

by CNB