Update at 8:25 p.m. — The storm threat appears to have passed.
A line of strong thunderstorms, packing heavy rains and gusty winds, is heading toward Arlington.
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In the days following the storm, which left 1 million customers without power in Virginia, Arlington and Fairfax counties experienced numerous problems with its 911 service, which made 911 unreachable for many emergency callers; some callers got a busy signal after calling 911, others heard nothing.
The problems were traced back to Verizon’s local communications backbone. In a report released last week, Verizon said the 911 problems started as a result of power outages.
Close Call at Reagan National — Three commuter jets nearly collided at Reagan National Airport on Tuesday afternoon due to a communications failure among air traffic control personnel. The planes were about 12 seconds away from a collision when a tower controller corrected her mistake. [Washington Post]
Ebbin Endorses Krupicka — State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) has endorsed Alexandria Councilman Rob Krupicka (D) in the Sept. 4 special election to fill Del. David Englin’s former 45th District House of Delegates Seat. “[Krupicka] has been a steadfast ally in the fight for true equality, world-class education system, a cleaner environment, smart transportation solutions, and innovative policies that keep our economy strong,” Ebbin said.
The National Weather Service has put Arlington and the surrounding areas under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. Conditions are favorable for strong storms, so anyone with outdoor plans for this evening should monitor weather reports.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE OUTLOOK AREA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL.
Arlington and the surrounding region is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through early Friday morning. A line of storms approaching the area may bring downpours, lighting and high winds.
From Arlington Alerts:
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County Manager Barbara Donnellan got the ball rolling by declaring a local emergency on June 30. Nearly 50 other Virginia localities did the same. Yesterday, Governor Bob McDonnell formally requested assistance for the state from the the Federal Emergency Management Agency, estimated at $27.5 million. Now it’s up to President Obama to either approve or deny the disaster funding.
Jack Brown, Director of the Arlington County Office of Emergency Management, explains that to be eligible for federal funds, the county must incur more than around $700,000 in expenses. So far, the bill from the June storm adds up to approximately $802,000, which includes costs for personnel, equipment and debris removal. The total could increase as more numbers are finalized.
A Severe Thunderstrom Watch has been issued for Arlington and the surrounding region through 8:00 p.m.
The National Weather Service says the potential exists for storms and damaging winds this evening.
911 Outage Scrutinized in Electrocution Death — A Falls Church man died on Sunday after being electrocuted by downed lines during the derecho storm on June 29. Bystanders tried calling 911, but couldn’t get through due to the sporadic outages across Northern Virginia. It’s unclear if the man could have been saved had the system not been down. [Washington Post]
Historic Carlin Hall Gets Facelift — The Glencarlyn Civic Association is pleased with the progress of the $500,000 renovation on the 120-year-old Carlin Hall. The project was originally only intended for replacing some siding, but inspectors found many more areas in need of repair. [Arlington Mercury]
The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, in effect until 10:15 p.m.
This storm is capable of producing strong winds up to 60 miles per hourr.
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(Updated at 5:20 p.m.) The National Weather Service has upgraded the previous storm watch to a warning. The warning is now effect until 5:45 p.m.
This is a strong storm that has the potential to bring damaging winds of 60 miles per hour and large hail.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Arlington and the surrounding region through 9:00 tonight.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service say scattered thunderstorms this afternoon and evening may produce damaging wind gusts, large hail, and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding.
Rep. Jim Moran has joined two other Northern Virginia congressmen in calling for an Federal Communications Commission investigation into failures of the 911 system following the late June derecho storm.
In a press release, Moran said any weakness in the 911 system that could allow similar failures in the future must be fixed.