Heavy rains cause more outages

Rock Creek experiencing massive run off due to heavy rains near Pierce Mill. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Flooding on Rhode Island Avenue NW. (Andrew Nazdin/Twitter)
Flooding on Rhode Island Avenue NW. (Andrew Nazdin/Twitter)
Flooding on Rhode Island Avenue NW. (Andrew Nazdin/Twitter)
Fire trucks carry floating devices to Rhode Island Avenue to rescue those stuck in their cars. (Andrew Nazdin/Twitter)
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WASHINGTON – Heavy rains caused more power outages and property damage Tuesday night.

The slow moving storms drifted south at 5 mph with rainfall rates exceeding 1 inch per hour. Near Tysons Corner, the National Weather Service reports 2.5 inches of rain fell. Ronald Reagan Washington National received 0.6 inch of rain.

Here are the outage numbers as of 9:10 a.m. Wednesday.

  • Total: 1,025
  • Pepco : 1-877-737-2662 — 792 (most in D.C.)
  • Dominion Power: 1-866-366-4357 — 152 in Northern Virginia
  • BGE: 1-877-778-2222 — 81 (Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties)

The WTOP Trafic Center received numerous calls about flooding along Rock Creek in Northwest due to the rapid runoff. Manhole covers were dislodged along Rock Creek Parkway and Beach Drive which led to many vehicles becoming disabled with flat tires.

Those roads were shut down, but reopened by Wednesday morning.

Additionally, a fallen tree was being cut at Waterside Drive on Rock Creek Parkway. Cars could get by, but crews were still cutting the tree early Wednesday morning.

Major flooding occurred throughout the city, central and eastern Fairfax County in Virginia, and along the Beltway in Prince George’s County, Md., reported Bob Immler.

In some areas, hard and fast rain was too much for sewers to handle and the flooding included raw sewage several inches deep.

More than a dozen row homes on R Street near Florida Avenue were hit. English basement apartments were completely flooded.

Firefighters brought in equipment to pump sewage and water.

In Georgetown, dozens of rats were seen coming out of the sewers early Wednesday.

WTOP’s Dave Dildine and Michelle Basch contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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