A documentary I once saw claimed that a hurricane or tornado of some kind hit the British encampment causing enough damages/casualties that they were forced to withdraw from Washington DC. Did this actually happen or is it an over-dramatization of American historical folklore? Also, if it is true, is there any real, documented, loss of life or casualties?
August 25, 1814 in the early afternoon, a strong tornado struck northwest Washington and downtown. The severe tornadic storm arrived the day that the British Troops had set fire to the Capitol, the White house and other public buildings. The storm's rains would douse those fires. The tornado did major structural damage to the residential section of the city. More British soldiers were killed by the tornado's flying debris than by the guns of the American resistance. The tornado blew off roofs and carried them high up into the air, knocked down chimneys and fences and damaged numerous homes. Some homes were destroyed. It lifted two pieces of cannon and deposited them several yards away. At least 30 Americans were killed or injured in the heavily damaged buildings and an unknown number of British were killed and injured. (Lat./Long. = ...)