
(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) It’s overcast and muggy right now, but it could be stormy later today in Arlington.
A strong storm toppled trees and knocked out power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses last night in parts of Arlington — primarily around the East Falls Church area — and another round of severe weather is possible later this afternoon and evening.
Forecasters are uncertain about the extent to which the storms, which are expected to be most widespread north of the metro area, will extend south into Arlington, D.C. and elsewhere.
“Scattered severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts, large hail and isolated tornadoes are possible late this afternoon and this evening,” the National Weather Service said this afternoon. “Additionally, isolated occurrences of flash flooding are also possible.”
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was just issued for Arlington and surrounding areas, warning of the possibility of frequent lightning, ping-pong-sized hail, and damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph. A Tornado Watch has also been issued for areas to the north and east.
More from NWS:
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of DC, MD, VA, WV until 9 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/iP9cZnbtG7
— NWS Severe Tstorm (@NWSSevereTstorm) July 29, 2021
Lots of potential in the atmosphere for storm damage this [Thu] P.M. – more than usual. Greatest uncertainty for now is how numerous/or few the storms will be across the area. If storms threaten, especially if a NWS warning is issued for your location, seek shelter. pic.twitter.com/ucsIf1E1Dn
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 29, 2021
12:22pm CDT #SPC_MD 1388 , #pawx #mdwx #vawx #wvwx, https://t.co/mVDCkFZNH1 pic.twitter.com/XGu0VAgDNc
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) July 29, 2021
A Tornado Watch is in effect for central and NE MD until 9 PM tonight. We are monitoring the need for additional watches for areas elsewhere. Remain alert and seek shelter in the event a NWS warning is issued for your area. pic.twitter.com/Db97iwDIaR
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 29, 2021
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The Arlington-Aachen High School exchange is returning this summer and currently accepting applicants.
The sister-city partnership started in 1993 by the Arlington Sister Cities Association, which seeks to promote Arlington’s international profile through a variety of exchanges in education, commerce, culture and the arts. The exchange, scheduled June 17th to July 4th, includes a two-week homestay in Aachen plus three days in Berlin. Knowledge of the German language is not required for the trip.
Former participants have this to say:
_”The Aachen exchange was an eye-opening experience where I was fully immersed in the life of a German student. I loved biking through the countryside to Belgium, having gelato and picnics in the town square, and hanging out with my German host student’s friends. My first time out of the country, the Aachen exchange taught me to keep an open mind, because you never know what could be a life changing experience.” – Kelly M._

Learn about the new assessment of Arlington’s urban tree canopy and the many ecological and social benefits trees provide. Staff from the Green Infrastructure Center (GIC) will share study results and compare canopy cover for different areas of Arlington.The webinar will include assessments of ecosystem services such as stormwater mitigation, air quality, carbon uptake, and urban heat islands. For background on Arlington trees see the “Tree Benefits: Growing Arlington’s Urban Forest” presentation at http://www.gicinc.org/PDFs/Presentation_TreeBenefits_Arlington.pdf.
Please register in advance to assure your place at the webinar, https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/29543206508863839.
About the Arlington County Civic Federation: The Arlington County Civic Federation (“ACCF”) is a not-for-profit corporation which provides a forum for civic groups to discuss, debate, inform, advocate and provide oversight on important community issues, on a non-partisan basis. Its members include over ninety civic groups representing a broad cross-section of the community. Communications, resolutions and feedback are regularly provided to the Arlington County Government.
The next meeting is on Tuesday, February 21,2023 at 7 pm. This meeting is open to the public and will be hybrid, in-person and virtually through Zoom. Part of the agenda will be a discussion and vote on a resolution “To Restore Public Confidence in Arlington County’s Governance”. For more information on ACCF and this meeting, go to https://www.civfed.org/.
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