This article was written by Audrey Batcheller
A flash flood is a weather condition defined by the National Weather Service as “a rapid and extreme flow of high water into a normally dry area, or a rapid water level rise in a stream or creek above a predetermined flood level, beginning within six hours of the causative event.” In other words, a tremendous amount of water in a short amount of time caused by thunderstorms or heavy rainfall.
Arlington is under a Flash Flood Warning until 3:15 a.m.
Slow-moving storms moving into the area have the potential for heavy, persistent rainfall, which could flood streams and low-lying areas.
(Updated 6:10 p.m.) A short lived, yet strong, string of storms left patches of destruction and power outages after it whipped through the area this afternoon. Although all parts of the county sustained some damage, the worst reports seem to be coming from South Arlington.
According to Dominion Virginia Power spokesman Chuck Penn, as of 5:45 p.m. there were about 6,500 Arlington customers without electricity. Most of the 33,000 Dominion customers currently without power are in Alexandria. However, Penn noted that “this is a very dynamic, unfolding situation” so numbers are changing almost by the minute.
The National Weather Service has included Arlington County in a Flash Flood Watch. The watch is in effect until 6:00 p.m.
From NWS:
Board Approves New Hotel — On Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved a new 168-room hotel on the former Colony House furniture site at 1700 Lee Highway. As part of the site plan approval, developer B.F. Saul agreed to make a $510,000 contribution to the county’s affordable housing fund, $62,546 to the utility undergrounding fund, $75,000 to the public art fund and $70,000 to pay for a widened sidewalk on a portion of N. Quinn Street. [Arlington County]
Diener Murder Case In-Depth — Writer Kris Coronado takes an in-depth look at how Arlington County police cracked the Carl Diener murder case, including how a hunch and DNA evidence played a pivotal role, and how one of the suspects rapped about the case against him. [Arlington Magazine]
Update at 8:55 a.m. — There is a ground stop for flights arriving at Reagan National Airport due to the weather. Check with your airline for the status on any outgoing flights.
The National Weather Service has put Arlington and the rest of the metro area under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11:00 a.m. That’s in addition to the Flash Flood watch that went into effect at midnight and will last until 8:00 p.m.
(Updated at 11:05 p.m.) All lanes of Route 110 have reopened after being closed for more than an hour due to high standing water near the Memorial Bridge underpass.
Four vehicles were reported to be stranded as a result of the high water, which was as deep as two feet. Six people were rescued from their vehicles by firefighters, who managed to drive their fire engine up to the stranded vehicles. All occupants are safe and accounted for.
Flash Flood Watch Today — A Flash Flood Watch is in effect today for Arlington and the rest of the region. Rain showers and thunderstorms are expected to dump 1-3 inches of rain on the area through this evening. [National Weather Service]
APS Receives ‘SRTS’ Grant — Arlington Public Schools has received a $67,600 state grant that will be used to fund a new “Safe Routes to School” coordinator position. The SRTS program will help “enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school.” It also seeks to make walking and bicycling to school safer while reducing traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution near schools. [Arlington Public Schools]
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for Arlington and the entire D.C. metro area, beginning Friday morning. Heavy rains are expected locally as a result of Tropical Storm Andrea, possibly with two to four inches of accumulation. The watch lasts through Friday evening.
From the National Weather Service:
Update at 3:35 p.m. — Although the weather remains rainy and windy, the National Weather Service has canceled the flood watch.
A flood watch has been issued for Arlington and the surrounding areas in light of the heavy rains that are predicted for this afternoon.
A cold front will bring high winds, heavy rain and possible thunderstorms tonight.
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Arlington and the D.C. region and Arlington County just issued the following alert.
No Sandbag Distribution in Arlington — Contrary to some rumors, Arlington County is not distributing sandbags to residents concerned about flooding. “Arlington County, fortunately, does not have significant river front areas that are subject to flooding (e.g., Georgetown, Old Town),” Arlington County Director of Communications Diana Sun told ARLnow.com this morning.” She said that county staff is “focused on the highest priorities.”
Long Bridge Drive Flooded — Long Bridge Drive, near Crystal City, has flooded as a result of rain overnight and is being closed to traffic by police. The flood-prone road is the only street that leads to the parking lots for Long Bridge Park.
