A surprise windstorm that hit Washington, D.C. knocked out power to the U.S. Capitol building and other landmarks.

Winds were gusting over 50 miles per hour as the temperature fell over 45 degrees during the day according to the National Weather Service.  The blast of colder air blacked out power to the Capitol Dome for half an hour in what officials called “a very rare event.”

Residents of West End reported their lights flickering and going out for the first time in years.

Utility companies say at the maximum outage, over 60,000 customers were without power across the region.