A loud noise with a flash of light was heard in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday night, and a Maryland resident claims she saw a lightning strike around the same time.
Reports came in around 10:50 p.m. from central Leesburg.
Laura Rinehart, a public information officer with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, confirmed with WTOP that it was not a gas explosion. She added that officials with police, the fire department and Dominion Energy went to the scene and saw no smoke or flames.
A spokesperson with Dominion Energy also told WTOP that no reports were made by the company’s Regional Operations Center’s servicemen.
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It is currently unclear what caused the loud noise. Emergency personnel are continuing to investigate.
Multiple listeners reported that the sound shook their homes or they heard a loud “whooshing” sound. The flash of light was visible as far as Sterling, Purcellville and Poolesville, Maryland.
Ellen Byrne, who lives just outside Brunswick, Maryland, about 30 miles from Leesburg, told WTOP that she was sitting at home around 11 p.m. when she saw a huge flash of light and heard an immediate boom.
“It was a lightning strike and the thunder it created sounded like something blew up,” Byrne said. “It seemed to hit the side of our house and took out everything that was directly wired to our cable,” which led to a loss of internet access.
She said she and her husband were lucky, and they found no telltale signs outside of the strike.
“What was really strange, though, is that before it hit and even afterwards, there was no sign of lightning, and I heard no thunder even in the distance. It came out of nowhere,” Byrne said.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
