(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) A severe thunderstorm that ripped through Arlington just after lunchtime has left some debris and damage in its wake.
In Pentagon City, part of the facade and roof of the Macy’s at the Pentagon City mall was damaged and a portion of it fell onto a car. One minor injury has been reported. As of 2:45 p.m., workers were on the roof inspecting the damage.
According to scanner reports, a tree fell on a car near the intersection of Route 50 and Park Drive. The two occupants of the vehicle were shaken up but not injured.
A tree fell into a home on the 1400 block of N. Wakefield Street, a few blocks from Washington-Lee High School, according to a fire department dispatch. The tree caused damage to the front of the house, but did not hit a car parked next door.
A number of other instances of trees and utility lines falling have been reported around the county, including at the intersections of S. Wayne Street and 6th Street S., S. Adams Street and 8th Street S., and 31st Street S. and S. Randolph Street.
As of 2:45 p.m., just over 550 Dominion customers were without power, according to the company’s outage map.
Via Twitter, residents say the storm brought hail in addition to very strong winds.
Hail, yes! What the storm just left behind in North Arlington – pebble-sized hail stones. @ARLnowDOTcom pic.twitter.com/hSxgkSJwWJ
— Tyler Suiters (@TylerSuiters) April 6, 2017
What the hail! @capitalweather @ARLnowDOTcom #stormwatch pic.twitter.com/ArDI6gxxc0
— Maka (@makalea_b) April 6, 2017
SB George Washington Pkwy between I-395 and Reagan National, tree down. single file left gets by #vatraffic #dctraffic
— WTOP Traffic (@WTOPtraffic) April 6, 2017
Today's storms⛈have caused many down trees. These are pics are of a near miss on the 1400 block of N Wakefield. Thankfully no injuries! pic.twitter.com/WpICI0AIE6
— Arlington Fire (@ACFDPIO) April 6, 2017
Storm damage in @ArlingtonVA at 15th & N. Randolph Streets. Power poles snapped, tree down. pic.twitter.com/DFcLCLaHQM
— Ryan Miller (@RyanMiller_WX) April 6, 2017
@WODTrail tree down on Curtis trail. By new EZPass structures on I66. @ARLnowDOTcom pic.twitter.com/D5orvs9LP8
— Brendan (@kiteboardr) April 6, 2017
Frigid, icy conditions have prompted Arlington Public Schools to open on a two-hour delay today.
From APS:
All APS schools and offices will open two hours late today. The Extended Day program will also open two hours late and morning field trips are canceled. Essential employees and food service workers should report to work at their regularly scheduled time. All other employees should report to work two hours past their usual start time. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.
Arlington County government and the federal government, meanwhile, are opening on time. Metrorail and Metrobus, likewise, were operating on a normal weekday schedule as of 5 a.m. Certain Arlington County Parks and Rec programs, however, have been cancelled or delayed.
From the parks department:
- All Congregate Meal Programs are cancelled for the day.
- All Early Childhood Programs (Preschool and Co-op) are cancelled.
- All Enjoy Arlington Classes, 55+ classes, Trips, Nature Center Programs and sports league activities with a scheduled start time prior to 11:59 a.m. today are cancelled in all APS and DPR buildings.
- All Enjoy Arlington Classes, 55+ classes, Trips, Nature Center Programs and sports league activities with a scheduled start time of Noon or later will proceed as scheduled.
- All afternoon and evening Enjoy Arlington Classes, 55+ classes, Trips, Nature Center Programs and sports league activities will proceed as scheduled.
- All community centers and senior centers locations will open on time as scheduled.
In addition to very cold temperatures, a Wind Advisory has been issued for Arlington and the D.C. region. Forecasters are warning of 45-50 mile per hour gusts which could blow down branches, trees and power lines.
From the National Weather Service:
… WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING. * TIMING… AFTER DAYBREAK THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHEST GUSTS EXPECTED LATE THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON. * WINDS… NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH. * IMPACTS… STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS, TREES, AND POWER LINES. ICE AND SNOW COVERED LIMBS, TREES AND POWER LINES ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&
Highest Monday Wind Gusts — According to the National Weather Service, the highest wind gusts recorded in Arlington Monday, after the initial squall line came through Sunday night, were between 47 mph in Barcroft and 53 mph in Cherrydale. [National Weather Service]
Arlington Man Arrested for Bank Robbery — A 41-year-old Arlington man was arrested in D.C. Monday and accused of robbing the HSBC Bank at the corner of 14th and I streets NW. Police say the man passed the teller a note claiming to have a bomb, fled on foot with cash but was then detained by a pair of witnesses and held until police arrived. [Washington Post]
County Defends Property Purchase — Arlington County says it did not overpay by spending $800,000 to buy a house, assessed for $519,200, which was needed for the Fire Station No. 8 expansion project. The county says the owner of the home was not anxious to sell and, essentially, making them an offer they couldn’t refuse helped save time and effort compared to trying to use eminent-domain to try to acquire the property at a fair-market value. [InsideNova]
Kudos for Arlington’s Affordable Housing Plan — “Arlington has set ambitious goals to tackle housing affordability, in part by making it easier for developers to build affordable housing in the first place. According to a recent report, Arlington made plans for new affordable units and brought its number of homeless residents down last year even as rents and housing costs went up.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Registration Open for Girls Fire Camp — The Arlington County Fire Department is now taking applications for its 2017 Girls Fire Camp, which “gives teenage girls, ages 15-18, a chance to experience firsthand what it takes to be an Arlington County Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician.” The camp will take place from July 6-9. [Arlington County]
Nearby: No New Taco Bell in Alexandria — A proposed new Taco Bell restaurant on Duke Street in Alexandria, which neighbors worried could bring “late night riff raff” and cause traffic problems, will not be opening after all. The company has withdrawn its plans for the new location. [Washington Business Journal]
The strong winds Monday morning caused a frightening moment for a Metrobus driver in the Crystal City area.
The incident happened around 10 a.m. on S. Eads Street at 22nd Street S.
“The lid of a trash dumpster that was being pushed down the street was blown open by the wind striking the windshield of a Metrobus,” a Metro spokesman told ARLnow.com. “The bus operator was treated on site for minor injuries due to broken glass.”
The bus was not in service at the time and no other passengers were reported to be on the bus.
File photo
It’s an old cliche that firefighters rescue cats from trees. But furniture?
Apparently so: The Arlington County Fire Department was called to the 1200 block of N. Herndon Street for a couch that got stuck in a tree sometime this morning. Officials said the seat, a wicker sofa, could pose a public hazard.
Today’s unusually high winds apparently blew the furniture off of a roof deck at the nearby Clarendon Apartments. Firefighters pulled it down around 9:45 a.m., but not before snapping a few candid shots on their phones.
“Here’s your photo opportunity,” joked one Arlington County Police officer while taking a picture of his own.
The couch was last seen being hauled back into the apartment building.
Update at 8 a.m. — Thousands of Arlington residents are waking up to no electricity this morning. The number of outages in Arlington is only down to around 4,900. Marymount University is still without power and portions of the Rosslyn/Courthouse area, including traffic signals at some busy intersection, are dark.
(Updated at 12:15 a.m.) More than 6,500 Dominion customers are without power in Arlington tonight after a squall line packing 60+ mile per hour wind gusts swept through the region.
Numerous trees, power lines and utility poles are said to be down across parts of Arlington, primarily in north Arlington. Several transformer fires have also been reported.
In some cases, trees are leaning against live lines and catching on fire. In other cases, power lines and poles are down across roadways, blocking lanes. Glebe Road, Military Road and Williamsburg Blvd are among the roads reported to blocked.
On Williamsburg Blvd, a fire department vehicle was damaged, possibly by falling branches or debris.
A large portion of Arlington north of Lee Highway — from Cherrydale up to McLean, including the Marymount University campus — is in the dark, according to a Dominion outage map.
There are also portions of Shirlington, Fairlington and other areas of south Arlington without power, according to the map.
In all, more than 34,000 Dominion customers throughout Northern Virginia are without power, including more than 7,000 in Alexandria. High winds are expected to continue throughout the day on Monday.
@ARLnowDOTcom Electrical fire on south Quinn and Columbia pike along with a big tree in the middle of the street pic.twitter.com/MRFFO46iC2
— ᴊᴀsᴍɪɴᴇ (@Parks_Jasmine) February 13, 2017
Dominion power estimates 2am-4am for power restoration. Phones and Internet remain operational. Updates will follow.
— Marymount University (@marymountu) February 13, 2017
Power outage on campus. Internal phones remain operational. Updates will follow.
— Marymount University (@marymountu) February 13, 2017
Caution on roads #GarbageCans and rubbish on the streets. @ARLnowDOTcom
— Russell Imrie (@tweedyBard) February 13, 2017
1121pm: 66 mph wind gust at Reagan Airport!
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) February 13, 2017
Arlington and much of the D.C. area is under a High Wind Watch tonight through Monday.
The National Weather Service says wind gusts of up to 60 mph are possible and could result in downed trees, branches and power lines.
From NWS:
… HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. * TIMING… LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON MONDAY. * WINDS… NORTHWEST 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. * IMPACTS… STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS… TREES… AND POWER LINES. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH… OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. &&
High Wind Watch has been posted for late Sun into Mon (gold shading on map). Wind gusts to 60 mph possible. Please monitor latest forecast. pic.twitter.com/n4fKFpZuJP
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) February 11, 2017
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Arlington and the D.C. region.
The winds are already causing tree branches to fall and at least one significant power outage in Arlington. Forecasters are warning of gusts around 45 miles per hour through 6 p.m. tonight.
From the NWS:
WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING. * TIMING… THROUGH 6 PM THIS EVENING. * WINDS… NORTHWEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH. * IMPACTS… GUSTY WINDS WILL BLOW AROUND UNSECURED OBJECTS. TREE LIMBS COULD BE BLOWN DOWN AND A FEW POWER OUTAGES MAY RESULT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT… ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&
Wind Advisory thru 6PM. Wind gusts up to 45 mph. Snow squalls are also possible with brief severe reductions in visibility and accumulations pic.twitter.com/gy7jd0BmDG
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) February 9, 2017
Nearly 600 Dominion customers are without power in the Donaldson Run, Maywood and Riverwood neighborhoods of north Arlington.
Initial reports suggest Dominion crews shut down power to the grid after a tree or a large branch fell on a power line, which started arcing. Those crews are currently working on the lines on the 2600 block of Military Road, according to scanner traffic.
Power crews are keeping busy due to the high winds today. Nearly 2,500 Dominion customers are without power throughout Northern Virginia, though so far no other outages have been reported in Arlington.
Arlington County is under a Wind Advisory until 7 p.m. tonight.
The National Weather Service cautions that gusty winds could down trees, tree limbs and power lines. From NWS:
… WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING. * TIMING… THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. * WINDS… WEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH. * IMPACTS… STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS… TREES… AND POWER LINES. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT… ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&
So far no significant power outages have been reported. As of 3 p.m., only 11 Dominion customers were reported to be without power in Arlington.
Arlington and the D.C. area is under a Wind Advisory this morning and afternoon.
The wind and rain today is the result of a nor’easter — the kind of coastal storm that has, in years past, drenched the area with rain or covered it with snow.
From the National Weather Service:
… WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON… * TIMING… EARLY THIS MORNING THROUGH THE MIDDLE AFTERNOON. STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED THIS MORNING. * WINDS… EAST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 45 MPH. * IMPACTS… STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS… TREES… AND POWER LINES. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT… ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&
Windy, Dry Conditions = Fire Danger — The National Weather Service is warning of an elevated fire danger today due to windy conditions, with gusts up to 45 miles per hour, combined with dry vegetation. [Weather Channel]
Tree Fire in South Arlington — In what was likely a wind-fueled fire, several trees caught fire Saturday evening on the 600 block of 29th Street S., near Crystal City. Firefighters from Arlington and Alexandria were able to bring the fire under control within 10-15 minutes. [Twitter, Twitter]
Career Center Mannequin Challenge — The Arlington Career Center has produced a mannequin challenge video, highlighting the various skills taught at the center. [Vimeo]
Opinion Piece: Think Bigger Than Bus Parking — An op-ed published in the Washington Post criticizes the possible school bus facility proposed for land that the county is acquiring across from Washington-Lee High School, next to I-66. “This is not a NIMBY issue,” writes the author, a nearby resident. “But before taking the path of least resistance and plopping a bus garage into a residential neighborhood, Arlington should carefully consider its options and ‘think big.'” [Washington Post]
Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley
Update at 11:30 p.m. — Power has been mostly restored. Dominion is currently reporting only 87 customers without power in Arlington.
On a windy Sunday night, power outages are being reported around large parts of north Arlington.
The outages are so far being reported in the Virginia Square, Ballston, Cherrydale, Maywood and Donaldson Run neighborhoods.
As of 9:15 p.m. there are were 5,677 customers without power, according to Dominion’s outage map. There was no estimate as to when power might be restored.
Via Twitter:
@DomVAPower @ARLnowDOTcom ⚡️power out Cherrydale Maywood 22207 need the juice back 🙂 thanks!#arlington #poweroutage #arlingtonva
— Tara Kelliher (@NamesBeenTaken) November 21, 2016
@ARLnowDOTcom Power is out in Cherrydale neighborhood. Wind related?
— dschap (@dschap) November 21, 2016
Powe outage in Ballston. Stanford to Stuart, Fairfax to 11th. @ARLnowDOTcom
— Chris Perez (@ChrisPdc) November 21, 2016
@ChrisPdc @ARLnowDOTcom Lights flickered in Courthouse too
— Zach Olson (@ZachOlson44) November 21, 2016
. @chrispdc @arlnowdotcom power out Lee heights
— Circumlocuxon Cannon (@rcannon100) November 21, 2016
File photo
Batten down the hatches, it’s windy out there.
It’s so windy that the National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory, effective through 5 p.m. tonight.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5PM EDT SAT
… WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON.
* TIMING… ONGOING. STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BEFORE DIMINISHING THIS EVENING.
* WINDS… NORTHWEST WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE.
* IMPACTS… SCATTERED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. DIFFICULTY DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT… ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. DRIVE CAUTIOUSLY.
Arlington and much of the region is under a Wind Advisory from 3-10 p.m. Saturday, and a Freeze Warning from midnight to 10 a.m. Sunday.
The National Weather Service says wind gusts up to 50 mph could cause scattered damage and freezing temperatures in the 20s could kill sensitive plants.
The one-two punch of wintry weather follows bouts of snow showers across the area this morning.
From NWS:
… WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING… … FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM EDT SUNDAY…
* TEMPERATURES… MID TO UPPER 20S TONIGHT.
* TIMING… THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FROM MID AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING.
* WINDS… NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.
* IMPACTS… UNPROTECTED VEGETATION SENSITIVE TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL BE KILLED OR DAMAGED.
* IMPACTS… SCATTERED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. DIFFICULTY DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL SENSITIVE CROPS AND OTHER VEGETATION.
A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. SECURE OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND TAKE CARE DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
