Five tornadoes touched down in Northern Virginia during the afternoon and early evening of the 24th.  The thunderstorms which spawned them were created when a strong cold front moved through the region.  One tornado touched down briefly in Orange County, just a few miles west of Gordonsville.  A resident saw the tornado come "off the mountain" and twist trees along Route 645 near the intersection of Route 33.  One tree landed on a vehicle near Route 33.  It is unknown exactly how long the twister was on the ground due to the rural nature of its path, so the path length of two tenths of a mile was estimated.  The damage path was about 25 yards wide and due to the amount of tree damage it was ranked an F1.  Shortly before the tornado touched down in Orange County, another storm produced a much stronger tornado over the northern half of Culpeper County.  The tornado was on the ground for 10 miles and touched down just east of Rixeyville on Route 640.  It was F0 strength at this location and downed a tree onto a home before moving northeast to Indian Fork Road.  On a hilltop at this location it destroyed all but the walkout basement of a two story brick house.  Debris from the home such as bricks and wood were impaled into the ground.  Plumbing and appliances were strewn across the yard and personal items such as clothing and bedding were found in trees at least 1/2 mile away.  A section of a deck was found intact 1/2 mile away and some insulation was discovered 6 miles from the site.  A car in the garage of the home was crushed by debris.  Fortunately, no one was home at the time the tornado hit.  A neighbor who witnessed the destruction said the home exploded like a bomb went off inside when the tornado "dropped onto it".  The tornado was ranked an F4 at this location with winds estimated around 210 MPH.  It weakened slightly as it moved northeast downing trees along a rural path south of Jeffersonton.  Next, it crossed through the heart of Jeffersonton along roughly Scottsville and Springs Roads at F2 strength.  Three trailer homes in the Ponderosa Trailer Court were destroyed, including one that was picked up and dropped in pieces 300 yards away.  Two people at the trailer park were injured, including one person who was hit in the back by flying debris while clinging to a pole outside.  Four churches, 4 trailer homes, 4 houses, and numerous trees and power lines were damaged in Jeffersonton.  Two barns and a garage attached to a home were destroyed.  The tornado continued to damage trees along its wooded path north of town before it crossed into Fauquier County.  The twister, now at F1 strength, remained on the ground for three more miles where it downed more trees and removed the roof of a barn.  The damage path crossed Hart Road and Holtzclaw Road, then it disappeared just north of Route 211.  The same storm dropped a second tornado in the northern portion of Fauquier County.  This tornado touched down southwest of The Plains just south of Interstate 66. Motorists saw it cross the interstate and push northeast toward Route 55.  At the intersection of Route 55 and Bunker Hill Road, the twister struck a home at F1 strength.  It ripped off the front porch, sending debris onto cars in the driveway.  It also destroyed a pool shed and damaged several trees.  The tornado crossed Route 55 where it downed trees and power poles and pushed over a tractor trailer.  The tornado weakened to F0 strength as it tracked north near Whitewood Road.  Two homes on Milestone Road and a few smaller buildings sustained minor damage.  A few trees were damaged as the tornado continued northward just west of Halfway.  The funnel dissipated before the storm crossed into Loudoun County.  Another thunderstorm dropped two tornadoes along the Interstate 95 and 395 corridor southwest of Washington D.C.  The first tornado touched down on Quantico Marine Corps Base just north of Garrisonville.  A funnel cloud was spotted near Garrisonville shortly before the twister touched down.  Trees were downed on the base along the path of the F0 tornado.  Personnel sited it as it passed a quarter mile west of the fire station.  The tornado continued north into Prince William County where it downed some trees in Prince William Forest Park area.  The tornado moved north into the Lake Montclair community where it took down a few trees, broke branches, and bent siding up on homes.  The weak tornado lifted shortly after.  Because the storm passed through several limited access areas, part of the tornado track was not able to be surveyed.  It is possible the tornado may not have been on the ground the entire time.The second tornado which remained on the ground for 15 miles passed through densely populated areas of Eastern Fairfax County, the western portion of the city of Alexandria, and Arlington County.  The F1 tornado touched down just west of Fort Belvoir near Newington Road in Fairfax County.  It skipped north-northeast through Kingstown and Franconia following Beulah Street (Route 613).  Minor damage was reported at the intersections of Windsor Avenue, Fleet Drive, and Walker Lane.  Several townhomes on Beulah Street received minor damage to roofing and siding.  Debris was also reported in the Franconia Commons development.  The tornado could be seen from the Franconia-Springfield metro station.  The next report of minor damage came from the Wellington Commons and Brookland Estates communities near the intersection of Franconia Road and Route 613.  Citywide, 10 homes received minor roof damage, two businesses sustained minor damage, and 40 trees and wires were downed.  Next, the twister crossed Eisenhower Road as it moved into the western portion of the City of Alexandria.  It weakened to F0 strength and was believed to have passed just west of Alexandria Hospital and into the Fort Ward Park area.  It downed a large sign on Interstate 395 at King Road.  Minor damage was reported in the Park Fairfax and Parc East communities along Martha Custis Drive near the Arlington County border.  The tornado returned to F1 strength and continued north-northeast paralleling Interstate 395 into the Shirlington portion of Arlington County.  It passed through the Arna Valley and Club Manor Estates developments near National Hospital Medical Center.  A woman walking down 28th Street in this area was injured when a tree branch fell onto her.  Nearby, windows were shattered at a restaurant.  The next concentrated area of damage occurred in the Virginia Highlands development between Kent and Ives Streets.  Several trees and wires were downed and a few house roofs sustained damage.  A weather observer at Reagan National Airport spotted the thin funnel as it moved from Crystal City over Pentagon City and across the 14th Street Bridge and reported a second funnel descending shortly before the tornado crossed the Potomac River.  The tornado moved across Interstate 395 just south of the Pentagon where it downed trees and road signs.  One woman was injured when a tree fell onto her vehicle.  Other vehicles received broken windows from flying debris.  The tornado started to weaken fast as it crossed the 14th Street Bridge into Washington D.C.  In addition to tornadoes, the storm produced very heavy downpours.  In Loudoun County, Town Branch in Leesburg overflowed its banks.  Several roads in low lying areas in and around town were also flooded including the Greenway at mile marker 8, Evergreen Mills Road, Loudoun Street, and the intersection of the Route 15 bypass at Sycolin Road.  Three water rescues were reported.  Street flooding was observed in Purcellville.  Rainfall reports included 4.1 to 4.8 inches in Leesburg, 3.95 inches in Lincoln and Purcellville, 3.9 inches in Ashburn, 2.60 inches in Middleburg, and 2.49 inches in Lovettsville.  In Fauquier County, Route 17 between Warrenton and Marshall was flooded.  Route 55 near Marshall was also covered with water.  Some secondary dirt roads in the northern portion of the county were partially washed out when small streams overflowed.  A total of 4.05 inches was recorded in The Plains and 2.14 inches fell in Warrenton.  In Culpeper County, 3.35 inches of rain fell in Culpeper.  In Madison County, rainfall totals included 2.80 inches in Hood, 2.77 inches at Fork Mountain, 2.65 inches in Wolftown, and 2.35 inches at Big Meadows. In Rappahannock County, 3.75 inches was reported in Castleton.

Funnel Cloud in CULPEPER, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 13:43:00 to 24-SEP-01 13:43:00 (EST)
Location: REVA
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

A funnel cloud may have briefly touched down south of Riva.  It was spotted again near Norman.

Tornado in CULPEPER, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 14:03:00 to 24-SEP-01 14:18:00 (EST)
Location: RIXEYVILLE
Tornado F-scale: F4
Property damage: 2M
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

A tornado damaged several buildings and destroyed one home before crossing into Fauquier County.  Two people were injured when the tornado damaged a trailer park.

Flash Flood in LOUDOUN, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 17:50:00 to 24-SEP-01 21:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Several roads were flooded and Town Branch overflowed in Leesburg.

Heavy Rain in CULPEPER, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 14:00:00 to 24-SEP-01 18:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Rain in MADISON, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 14:00:00 to 24-SEP-01 17:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Rain in RAPPAHANNOCK, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 15:00:00 to 24-SEP-01 18:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Tornado in ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 16:00:00 to 24-SEP-01 16:06:00 (EST)
Location: ARLINGTON
Tornado F-scale: F1
Property damage: 1M
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

A tornado from Alexandria moved just east of Interstate 395 from Shirlington to Pentagon City before it crossed the 14th Street bridge into D.C. Large trees and power poles were downed, a few house roofs were damaged, and two people were injured by flying debris.

Flash Flood in FAUQUIER, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 19:00:00 to 24-SEP-01 21:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Roads were flooded and small streams washed out culverts.

Tornado in PRINCE WILLIAM, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 15:19:00 to 24-SEP-01 15:32:00 (EST)
Location: JOPLIN
Tornado F-scale: F0
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

A tornado from Stafford County moved north into the Montclair area where it downed trees.

Tornado in FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 15:44:00 to 24-SEP-01 15:55:00 (EST)
Location: NEWINGTON
Tornado F-scale: F1
Property damage: 40K
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

A tornado downed trees and damaged buildings from Newington to Franconia before it moved into Alexandria.

Tornado in ALEXANDRIA (C), VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 15:55:00 to 24-SEP-01 16:00:00 (EST)
Location: ALEXANDRIA
Tornado F-scale: F0
Property damage: 7.5K
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

A tornado from the Franconia area moved northeast across the western half of the city damaging trees before it crossed into Arlington County near Interstate 395.

Tornado in FAUQUIER, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 14:18:00 to 24-SEP-01 14:25:00 (EST)
Location: TURNBULL
Tornado F-scale: F1
Property damage: 20K
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

A tornado damaged trees and removed a barn roof after it crossed the Culpeper County border.

Tornado in ORANGE, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 14:35:00 to 24-SEP-01 14:35:00 (EST)
Location: GORDONSVILLE
Tornado F-scale: F1
Property damage: 5K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

A short lived tornado downed several trees near the intersection of Route 645 and 33.

Tornado in FAUQUIER, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 14:49:00 to 24-SEP-01 14:49:00 (EST)
Location: THE PLAINS
Tornado F-scale: F1
Property damage: 180K
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

A tornado damaged 3 homes and several trees near The Plains.

Funnel Cloud in STAFFORD, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 15:08:00 to 24-SEP-01 15:08:00 (EST)
Location: GARRISONVILLE
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

A funnel cloud was spotted near Garrisonville.

Tornado in STAFFORD, VIRGINIA
From 24-SEP-01 15:10:00 to 24-SEP-01 15:19:00 (EST)
Location: GARRISONVILLE
Tornado F-scale: F0
Property damage: .1K
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

A tornado touched down on Quantico Marine Base where it downed trees before it crossed into Prince William County.