Weather

Flood Watch issued as storms threaten

Lightning strikes in the distance on a stormy night in Ballston, looking south along Glebe Road in August 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington, Alexandria, D.C. and other parts of the Washington region could see strong storms and pockets of flooding.

A Flood Watch has been issued for much of the area and is set to take effect at 5 p.m.

Forecasters say istorms will likely arrive later this afternoon and may pack heavy rainfall and, in more isolated instances, damaging wind gusts. A “brief tornado” is also possible.

More from the National Weather Service:

1049 AM EDT MON SEP 12 2022

…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING…

* WHAT…FLASH FLOODING CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL CONTINUES TO BE POSSIBLE. […]

* WHEN…FROM 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING.

* IMPACTS…EXCESSIVE RUNOFF MAY RESULT IN FLOODING OF RIVERS, CREEKS, STREAMS, AND OTHER LOW-LYING AND FLOOD-PRONE LOCATIONS.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA. HEAVY RAINFALL RATES COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
– HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SAFETY/FLOOD

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.