A wind advisory is still in effect for the DC area with wind gusts possibly as strong as 50 miles-per-hour. The National Weather Service issued the advisory today until 8:00 p.m. in counties in Northern Virginia, Maryland and in DC. Scattered power outages hit the area this morning leaving thousands without power. In Virginia, widespread power outages forced all Spotsylvania public schools to close today. The National Weather Service expecting that winds may blow down limbs, trees, and power lines. Additional power outages are expected.

Those strong winds contributed to the death of an elderly Stafford Virginia woman early this morning.   Authorities say 78-year-old Cathy Tyler was killed after she was pinned under a tree that crashed into her home as she slept. The woman’s 82-year-old husband was also sleeping inside the home at the time and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.