IJAMSVILLE, Md. - Severe weather swept across the region Friday afternoon, bringing gusting winds and heavy rain that toppled trees and utility lines from Arlington, Va., to Frederick County, Md.

in Ijamsville, Frederick County, Md., the storms toppled trees and ripped the roofs off of homes. The falling trees tore down utility lines, and the neighborhood was without power.

"My husband said the trees were bouncing in between the houses," said Michelle Loveless, a neighborhood resident, adding that the family's metal outdoor furniture ended up in their pool. 

Neighbor Mary Ann Anderson, whose property was also damaged, added, "Thank God. Thank you God." 

"To come home and look at this devastation is just a phenomenal thing to see -- the destruction that's happened in less than 10 minutes," said Dennis Carrico, a resident.

An ABC 7 WeatherBug station in Frederick, Md., recorded a 74 mile an hour wind gust Friday afternoon.

Minor injuries were reported after a tree crushed two cars on Interstate 66 in Rosslyn, Virginia.

Another tree fell onto the car in Comus, Md., just west of Clarksburg. One person was taken to Shady Grove Hospital for minor injuries.

In  Arlington, westbound Interstate 66 near the Rosslyn exit was briefly closed Friday afternoon after a tree fell, crushing a van and a car. One minor injury was reported.

"I'm just glad it fell in front of my windshield," the car's driver told rescuers. 

One driver who witnessed the crash told ABC 7 News what he saw:

"A loud crack, it sounded like thunder, I looked at my rear view mirror and the tree was crossing the road here," he said. "I thought my parents were dead." 

The witness, who's visiting from Massachusetts, was able to swerve and avoid the tree. He immediately sprang into action to check on drivers and passengers of the damaged vehicles.

ABC 7's John Gonzalez reports on the tree that fell on two vehicles along Interstate 66 in Rosslyn, Va.

"I ran around the car here -- I thought they had it. I ran underneath the tree and just whispered in the window, 'Is everybody OK here?' and they said, 'We're fine. Just a couple of lacerations,'" the SUV driver recalled. "If nobody is a believer, they are all believers now." 

It took crews about an hour to remove the tree. VDOT reported all lanes of I-66 reopened before 4 p.m.

Elsewhere, there were thousands of people without power across D.C. and the Maryland suburbs.

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