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Arlington Ranked Among Country’s Most Sustainably Powered Places

Arlington ranks as one of the most sustainably powered localities in the country, according to a new study, thanks to its large share of energy-efficient buildings and bevy of electric vehicle options.

Commercial Cafe, a blog tracking commercial real estate trends, ranked Arlington 15th in the country in a new study of America’s greenest cities.

The group awarded localities points based on how much they rely on sustainable forms of energy, like wind, solar and hydropower, and docked points for how much carbon dioxide they generate, or how much they rely on traditional energy sources like coal and natural gas.

Arlington scored poorly when it came the total amount of greenhouses gases the county generates, but made up for those poor marks with its high numbers of commuters who bike or walk to work, and large number of electric vehicle charging stations.

Additionally, Arlington ranked seventh in the country with one of the highest shares of office buildings that are LEED-certified for energy efficiency by the U.S. Green Building Council. Of the county’s 452 buildings, Commercial Cafe found that 106 have LEED certifications, with another eight on the way that are set to meet that specification.

Overall, San Francisco, Seattle and Oakland took the top three spots in the company’s rankings, while D.C. placed ninth.

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Wind Advisory Issued for Arlington, Region

Arlington and much of the D.C. region will be under a Wind Advisory starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Forecasters say that a line of showers and thunderstorms in the morning will give way to gusty winds through Wednesday evening. The wind gusts may damage trees and cause power outages.

More from the National Weather Service:

…WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM EDT WEDNESDAY… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM EDT WEDNESDAY. * TIMING…STRONG WINDS WILL INCREASE WEDNESDAY MORNING AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING. A LINE OF SHOWERS WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WHICH COULD BRING LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH OR GREATER. FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT, WIDESPREAD WEST WINDS GUSTING 40 TO 50 MPH WILL OCCUR THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE DIMINISHING IN THE EARLY EVENING. * WINDS…WEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 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. &&

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Dominion Crews Still Working to Fully Restore Power in Arlington

Some 330 Dominion customers in Arlington were still without power Monday morning, following Friday’s intense, prolonged wind storm.

Dominion crews worked throughout the weekend to restore electricity in Northern Virginia. The few hundred without power in Arlington was down from more than 14,000 as of Friday evening.

The power outages in Arlington are mostly smaller, with a few homes or a single home affected in a given area. Sometimes the outage is the result of the service line being ripped from the house by a falling tree.

Dominion is estimating full restoration to be complete by 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to its website.

The company says the “#windmageddon” storm is among the top 5 most damaging storms in Dominion history, with about 700,000 customers losing power. Dominion had nearly 4,000 personnel working to restore power over the weekend, including hundreds called in from out of state.

More via social media:

Map via Dominion

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Dominion: More Than 14,000 Arlingtonians Still Without Power

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(Updated at 7:35 p.m.) Friday’s wind storm has taken a toll on Arlington, sending trees toppling onto cars, houses and across roads, and knocking out power to tens of thousands.

As of 7:30 p.m., Dominion reported 14,663 customers without power in Arlington. An hour earlier, it appeared that the numbers were finally dropping, but thanks to continued strong winds it has, in fact, gone up.

A Dominion outage map showed that a large swath of residential North Arlington and a significant portion of the Fairlington neighborhood was without power as the sun started to set.

Across the D.C. region, nearly 600,000 were in the dark as of early evening.

Arlington County Police say they’ve responded to more than 250 calls for service since this morning, including 66 calls for trees down.

To help with the cleanup, which is expected to take at least a few days, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency.

“The order is designed to help Virginia mitigate any damage caused by high winds and to streamline the process that the Commonwealth uses to provide assistance to communities impacted,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

A High Wind Warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Gusty winds are expected to continue overnight as the nor’easter makes its way north and pummels New England.

The National Weather Service says it clocked a wind gust of 71 miles per hour at Dulles International Airport earlier today. NWS is urging those in the D.C. area to remain vigilant as the winds continue to gust.

Widespread power outages are occurring. Travel is dangerous, especially for high profile vehicles, and motorists need to be aware of rapidly changing road conditions due to the potential of downed trees and power lines. Pedestrians will face very hazardous conditions, and need to be aware of wind-borne projectiles. People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your homes during the windstorm, and avoid windows. If you use a portable generator, follow manufacturer’s instructions and do not use inside homes, garages, or apartments.

More local weather impacts via social media, after the jump.

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaFD/status/969703660052762625

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Tree Falls on Car Near H-B Woodlawn

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(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) A tree fell on a car in the Donaldson Run neighborhood Friday afternoon, amid the ongoing wind storm.

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. on the 4200 block of Vacation Lane, not far from the Stratford building that houses the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program.

Initial reports suggest that a tree fell on a car, trapping the driver inside and sending live power lines down across the street. Firefighters were able to extricate the driver, who was reportedly not injured, within about 15 minutes.

Vacation Lane is expected to remain closed for an extended period of time, awaiting the power and tree removal crews.

Photo via Google Maps

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Falling Trees Damaging Houses, Blocking Roads in Arlington

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(Updated at 1:10 p.m.) Today’s wind storm has caused tree carnage throughout Arlington County.

As of 12:30 p.m. firefighters responded to seven calls for trees that had fallen on houses, according to the Arlington County Fire Department, but no injuries were reported. The department has responded to another 31 calls for wires down over the past 12 hours or so.

Among the places where there were reports of trees falling on houses:

  • 18th Street S. near Army Navy Country Club
  • 2500 block of Military Road
  • Near the intersection of N. Roosevelt Street and 15th Road N.

Numerous trees and large branches are reported to have fallen and blocked or partially blocked roads. Arlington County Police have responded to more than 40 tree-related calls since midnight, officials say.

Among the roads blocked are 26th Street N. near Lee Highway and Washington Blvd west of Westover, among with:

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaFD/status/969612966378328064

As of noon, Dominion was reporting 11,438 customers without power in Arlington, including widespread outages in North Arlington neighborhoods.

Dominion says a total of 335,000 customers have lost power since Thursday night. The company stopped providing police and the fire department with estimated times of arrival for crews responding to downed lines earlier this morning.

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Power Outages in Arlington Tick Up Past 10,000

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(Update at 10:50 a.m.) More than 10,000 Dominion customers are currently without power in Arlington, according to the company’s website.

Numerous reports of downed trees, branches and power lines around the county have been rolling in over the past few hours as today’s “high impact” wind storm continues to roar across the D.C. region.

As of as of 10:45 a.m., Dominion was reporting 11,409 customers without electricity in Arlington. Parts of the county affected include large portions of residential North Arlington neighborhoods, as seen on the map about.

Among a growing list of road closures around the county due to downed trees, police are blocking the 6000 block of Washington Blvd, just west of Westover, for a large tree across the road. Another significant road closure is N. Harrison Street between 26th Street N. and Lee Highway.

The fire department has kept busy, calling for staff to volunteer to work a double shift into the afternoon and making frequent trips to buildings where power outages have resulted in stuck elevators.

The Arlington County Police Department is advising residents to steer well clear of downed power lines and trees and to “remain aware of your surroundings and secure your belongings” today. The National Weather Service says the strongest wind gusts are expected through noon, though damaging winds are expected to continue into Friday night.

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BREAKING: Arlington Schools, Federal Gov’t Closed Due to Wind Storm

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(Updated at 6:30 a.m.) Arlington Public Schools are closed today (Friday) due to weather concerns.

All schools and offices are closed, APS announced this morning, though custodians are being asked to report at 6 a.m. “regardless of your regular shift.”

Elementary and middle schools were already scheduled to be closed due to parent-teacher conferences, but those conferences have been cancelled, as have “extracurricular activities, interscholastic games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds.”

Marymount University, meanwhile, is also closed.

Federal government offices in the D.C. area are closed due to the wind storm, the Office of Personnel Management announced early Friday morning.

Due to safety concerns, Virginia Railway Express service has been cancelled for today. Reagan National Airport is encouraging travellers to check the status of their flight before coming to the airport. Power problems have been reported on Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines, causing delays, while the rest of the Metrorail system is running every 12 minutes with reduced speeds above ground.

As of 5:30 a.m., Dominion is reporting more than 9,000 customers without power in Arlington already.

Already, there have been reports of trees, branches and other debris down in Arlington, and the dangerous winds are expected to continue throughout the day. Residents are being encouraged to stay indoors whenever possible and to remain in the lower levels of homes.

More via social media:

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaFD/status/969489464883064832

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Officials: Prepare for Falling Debris and Power Outages During Wind Storm

High winds are expected to wallop the Washington region tonight through Saturday and officials are asking the public to take precautions.

Wind gusts as strong as 60-70 miles per hour are possible from Friday from 4 a.m. through midnight, forecasters say. Wind gusts over 30 miles per hour are expected generally from tonight into Sunday.

The Virginia Department of Transportation issued its own advisory, warning that roadways could be dangerous and that road closures could be possible due to downed trees and power lines or other road debris. Crews will begin working overnight to fix any infrastructure damage, the agency said.

VDOT issued a warning to drivers, and a reminder to:

  • Check road closures before you travel, and look at potential alternate routes.
  • Reduce your speeds and assume there may be a road obstruction ahead.
  • Move over for responders with blue, red, and amber lights, including VDOT and utility crews.
  • Always use your headlights, remember wipers on, lights on is the law.
  • Ensure gas tanks are full, and have a good emergency kit. Here’s how: www.ready.gov/car.

AAA Mid-Atlantic issued its own warning, including a reminder to treat non-working traffic signals as a four-way stop.

“Motorists who venture out during the Nor’easter should brace themselves for driving into tempestuous side winds, which would buffet them off course and off the road, and into blustery head winds and turbulent tail winds,” AAA said. “Drive defensively or stay off the roads until the mercurial storm passes over.”

More advisories from the agencies via social media:

https://twitter.com/VaDOTNOVA/status/969252081319202816

https://twitter.com/ReadyArlington/status/969322520582205440

File photo

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Morning Notes

ACPD Cameo on ‘Homeland’ — The Arlington County Police Department made a brief appearance last week on the TV show “Homeland.” [Twitter]

High Wind Watch Upgraded to Warning — The threat of a damaging wind storm Friday has become more likely. The National Weather Service has upgraded the previous High Wind Watch to a warning. [Twitter]

EFC Development Stalled — “Seven years ago, the county blessed a vision of new ‘transitown’ development of stores, greenery and new pedestrian access around the East Falls Church Metro. But that utilitarian commuter site is largely unchanged.” [Falls Church News-Press]

New Logo, Website for AAC — Thanks to a philanthropic grant, the Arlington Arts Center has new branding and a “new, mobile-friendly site reflecting our enduring commitment to excellent contemporary art, quality educational programs, and our artist residency program.” [Arlington Arts Center]

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High Wind Watch Issued for Arlington, D.C. Region

Arlington County and the rest of the D.C. area is under a High Wind Watch from Thursday night to late Friday night.

Forecasters say damaging winds are likely on Friday and widespread power outages are possible. It may be “one of the strongest wind storms in at least three years,” according to the National Weather Service.

More from NWS:

…HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. * TIMING…OVERNIGHT THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. * WINDS…NORTHWEST 25 TO 40 MPH WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH. * IMPACTS…DAMAGING WINDS WILL BLOW DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. 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. &&

Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak

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Wind Advisory Issued for Area

The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for Arlington and much of the rest of the D.C. area.

Strong, gusty winds this morning and afternoon may knock down tree branches and power lines, forecasters say.

More from NWS:

… WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON… * TIMING… STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THE WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST THROUGH NOON. * WINDS… WEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 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. &&

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Arlington Under Wind Advisory Tonight

Arlington County and much of the surrounding D.C. area is under a Wind Advisory.

The advisory, which is in effect until 6 a.m., cautions that an approaching line of gusty showers may produce damaging winds.

From the National Weather Service:

… WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EDT TUESDAY… * TIMING… TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. THE GREATEST CONCERN WILL BE FOCUSED MORE IN THE EVENING NEAR I-81, AND NEAR OR AFTER MIDNIGHT ALONG I-95. * WINDS… SOUTH 15 TO 30 MPH, WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. * 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 THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&

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Morning Notes

Nate Remnants Pushing Out — It has been a rainy and windy morning thanks to the remnants of what was once Hurricane Nate. The heaviest of the rain is over but it is expected to remain windy and humid during the day today, with a gale warning in effect until 6 p.m. for those on the water. [Twitter, Weather Channel]

Voter Registration Up This Cycle — Arlington County has processed twice the number of voter registration transactions between Labor Day and Oct. 6 this year as it did during the same period four years ago, according to elections chief Linda Lindberg. That suggests greater interest in this year’s statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, though County Board and School Board races are also on the ballot. [InsideNova]

Arlington Schools Get Grant — Arlington is among the Virginia localities getting a grant for new school security equipment. Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Langston High School Continuation Program are together receiving $44,480 through the state program, put in place in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting in Connecticut. A total of $6 million is being divvied out to dozens of school systems, paying for “video monitoring systems, metal detectors, classroom locks, electronic-access controls, visitor-identification systems, direct communications links between schools and law enforcement agencies, and other security upgrades.” [Gov. Terry McAuliffe]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

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BREAKING: Storm Damage Reported Around Arlington

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(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.

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