The NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) reported a minor tornado touched down around lunchtime Oct. 15 in the Belle Haven area and followed a tree-damaging path 1.5 miles towards Alexandria city. The NWS estimates the total life of the tornado occurred between 12:23 and 12:26 p.m., and only reached a maximum wind speed of 55-65 miles per hour (classified on the Enhanced Fujita Scale on the low end of EF-0).

The tornado was confirmed by a combination of “rotational velocity couplets” on local Doppler weather radar and a path of downed trees and snapped branches beginning near the intersection of Belle Haven and Hunt roads. That type of destruction carried through the Belle Haven Country Club to I-495 at the George Washington Parkway.

After the three-minute romp, the tornado withered and lifted. No injuries or deaths were reported as a result of the twister.