Storms hit hard across the U.S.

A violent thunderstorm hit Washington, D.C., Sunday killing a bicyclist and knocking out power to about 16,000 people, authorities said Monday. Police said a middle-aged man was killed when a tree apparently fell along a bicycle path and knocked him off his bicycle, The Baltimore Sun reported. People were ushered into the Senate and House parking garages around 6:15 p.m. EDT because of unsafe conditions created by the storm, Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, spokeswoman for the U.S. Capitol Police, said. "It was outrageous," with winds so strong she thought her car door would snap off its hinges, she said. Wind gusts of 60 to more than 70 mph were reported as the storms moved through, accompanied by torrential downpours and frequent flashes of lightning, Accuweather.com reported. In other storms during the weekend, Detroit suffered through brutal heat and thunderstorms that brought down power lines. Saturday's high of 99 degrees broke the record high of 98 from 1911, National Weather Service meteorologist Amos Dodson said. More than 125,000 customers were without power in the city on Saturday, The Detroit News reported. And in the West, a record rainfall hit Las Vegas with gusty winds that also knocked out power to thousands. The National Weather Service said Sunday's storms set a record for rainfall on July 3, with 0.74 inches of rain Sunday at McCarran International Airport, the Las Vegas Sun reported.