Update: Power has been restored at Suburban Hospital, and there are no residual impacts.
Severe thunderstorms with lightning strikes caused power surges and outages in Bethesda on Sunday night.
According to Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) Pete Piringer, around 9 p.m., Suburban Hospital experienced a surge that knocked out its AC, CT, and MRI systems, prompting a Code Black due to the disruption of services. At about the same time, a lightning strike near Silver Linden Street triggered electrical issues in multiple townhomes, causing elevator control boxes to short and sparking several small fires, which fire crews quickly contained.
As of Monday morning, the issue was still affecting the hospital’s ability to provide care, according to ABC7. We will provide an update if additional verified information becomes available.
(~9p) Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, @MontgomeryCoMD lightning strike(s) in area, Power surge knocked the AC, CT & MRI scan out. Code Black (Mini Disaster) is triggered by significant, unexpected disruption within the hospital’s physical plant, impacting its ability to provide care
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) August 18, 2025
