Dumfries community mourning loss of Marine Corps employee killed during severe storms
DUMFRIES, Va. - People across the DMV are still dealing with the impacts of Saturday’s severe storms. Downed trees destroyed homes, left thousands without power and in Dumfries, claimed the life of one man.
Officials say 43-year-old Kenneth Allan Lee — who went by the name Allan — was killed when a tree fell on his home in the 15300 block of Holly Hill Drive Saturday night.
Neighbors shared a GoFundMe page with FOX 5. The page says the beneficiaries of the fund are Lee’s wife, Rachel, and their two daughters.
According to the organizers, the family is displaced and is currently staying at a hotel with their dog. So far, more than $10,800 has been raised.
"It’s an unfortunate situation and our heart goes out to his family," neighbor George Hayn said.
Lee worked as a web developer for the U.S. Marine Corps for nearly a decade. They say Lee’s death is a tragic loss and they expressed their deepest condolences to his wife and two daughters.
In a statement to FOX 5, the Marine Corps said:
"The Marine and Family Programs Division at Headquarters Marines Corps mourns the loss of Kenneth "Allan" Lee. During the severe storms that moved through the area this past Saturday, a tree crashed down on his family’s home, tragically ending Allan’s life.
Allan has been with Marine and Family Programs Division nearly 10 years, building a consolidated website where all Marine Corps installations operate on a unified platform, making life easier for Marines and Families when transitioning from duty station to duty station. Allan was valued and respected by his headquarters and installations counterparts for his passion, but also for his solutions-oriented approach, great customer service, and "can-do" attitude."
"This is a tragic loss for the Marine and Family Programs Division and the Marine Corps. We express our deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife, two children, and extended family."
The intense storms rocked neighborhoods across northern Virginia. In Arlington County, closures along the George Washington Memorial Parkway are expected to last into the next few days.
The North Parkway from Spout Run Parkway to I-495 remains closed except for the northbound lanes from Route 123 to I-495 and the southbound lanes of the Spout Run Parkway are also closed while crews remove fallen trees and limbs.
Work to restore power across the region is also ongoing. FOX 5 has learned that at the height of the storm, about 90,000 homes were without power. That number is now down to around 1,100.
"The storm had a huge impact on power," Dominion Energy Communications Manager Peggy Fox said.
FOX 5 is told those who remain without power can expect to have their power restored by 11 p.m.