Weather

UPDATED: Thousands Lose Power After Strong Storm Rips Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Update at 8:55 p.m. — About 900 Dominion customers are still without power after the earlier storm, which toppled trees across the county.

Update at 4:25 p.m. — “Multiple trees” are reported to be down near the intersection of 14th Street S. and S. Pollard Street in Douglas Park, and along I-66 near the Lee Highway/Route 29 exit, according to the National Weather Service.

Update at 4:10 p.m. — Thousands are without power in Arlington as a result of the storm. Nearly 3,500 homes and businesses are in the dark, according to a Dominion outage map.

Damage is being reported as a result of the storm’s strong winds. On 22nd Street N. at Military Road firefighters are on scene of a large tree that fell, took down power lines and caused a reported transformer explosion. On the 3900 block of Vacation Lane, a tree reportedly fell into a house.

The outages are causing problems, meanwhile, like a reported stuck elevator with people in it at the Costco in Pentagon City.

Local residents have been reporting hail, booming thunder, and standing water in roadways throughout the county. The Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been extended until 4:45 p.m. and northern Arlington is under a new warning.

Update at 3:50 p.m. — The storm appears to be expanding on radar. In Ballston, very strong winds have knocked down furniture in sidewalk cafes.

The National Weather Service, meanwhile, just issued a Flood Warning for Arlington.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DC-ARLINGTON VA-
345 PM EDT THU AUG 26 2021

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR… WEST CENTRAL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 645 PM EDT.

* AT 345 PM EDT, DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS. FLOODING IS ONGOING OR EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY IN THE WARNED AREA. BETWEEN 0.5 AND 1 INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE… ARLINGTON… ALEXANDRIA… ROSSLYN… CRYSTAL CITY… REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT… NATIONALS PARK… GEORGETOWN… BALLSTON… ROCK CREEK… THE WHITE HOUSE… CHERRYDALE… BARCROFT… THE MALL…

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

Earlier: Most of Arlington is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.

The warning was issued after a strong storm popped up over Arlington and Alexandria, with heavy rain and frequent lightning.

More from the National Weather Service:

BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
331 PM EDT THU AUG 26 2021

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… WEST CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… EAST CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 415 PM EDT.

* AT 331 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER ARLINGTON, MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS, AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON, ALEXANDRIA, ANNANDALE, HUNTINGTON, CORAL HILLS, BLADENSBURG, NATIONAL HARBOR, NATIONALS PARK, FEDEX FIELD, HOWARD UNIVERSITY, GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY, FORT TOTTEN, REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT, ROSSLYN, CRYSTAL CITY, RFK STADIUM, LANDOVER, LINCOLNIA, HYATTSVILLE AND TAKOMA PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING.