One of the rainiest patterns on record is set to continue for several more days. 8-12" of rain had fallen since last Tuesday and rainfall of more than an inch per day is likely today, tomorrow and Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/dn9duI57JA
— Chuck Bell (@ChuckBell4) July 23, 2018
#WeatherAlert day. Flood threat remains very high for today and the next few days. This on top of the 6-12" of rain that most areas have already had in less than the past week. Stay away from high, fast moving water. Turn around, don't drown. pic.twitter.com/vR0RqYJKG8
— Chuck Bell (@ChuckBell4) July 23, 2018
WASHINGTON — After a very wet weekend, showers and thunderstorms are starting off a workweek of rainy, wet weather in the D.C. region, with flood warnings and watches in place around the area.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the D.C. area until at least 2 a.m. Wednesday. There is also a Flash Flood Warning for Baltimore and Carroll counties in Maryland until 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Storm Team 4 meteorologist Amelia Draper said on Monday that the area will get some breaks, but won’t see a fully dry day until Thursday. She said rain will continue in patches through Wednesday night, and that most areas will see another 2 to 5 inches. “This means most of us will pick up close to or around one foot of rain in just over a week’s time!,” she said.
A Flood Warning is in place for parts of Montgomery County, Maryland, specifically for Seneca Creek, at Dawsonville. Flood Watches are in effect for the Potomac at Edwards Ferry, affecting Montgomery County in Maryland and Loudoun County, in Virginia, as well as the Rappahannock River at Remington, affecting Culpeper and Fauquier counties in Virginia.
A Flood Warning means flooding is imminent or has already begun; a Flood Watch means conditions are favorable and flooding is possible. A flash flood watch means that conditions might develop that lead to flash flooding.
The weather service said the ground in a lot of areas is already soaked, and several streams and creeks are swollen from the rain on Saturday.
The Flash Flood Watch is in effect for the following areas:
Maryland
- Calvert County
- St. Mary’s County
- Baltimore County
- Anne Arundel County
- Prince George’s County
- Howard County
- Charles County
- Carroll County
- Montgomery County
Virginia
- City of Alexandria
- Arlington County
- Fairfax County
- Stafford County
- Prince William County
- Loudoun County
- Fauquier County
A previous flash flood watch for the D.C. area expired at 5 a.m. Monday.
The weather service has extended a flood warning for parts of Anne Arundel, St. Mary’s, Calvert, Prince George’s and Charles counties in Maryland.
The National Weather Service said water is expected to approach the curb near King Street and Strand Street in Alexandria and that minor shoreline inundation up to one foot above ground is possible elsewhere.
The weather service has also issued a coastal flood watch for the shoreline in Anne Arundel County in Maryland until 7 a.m. Tuesday. The weather service said water is expected to pond in the parking lot at Annapolis City Dock, causing parking restrictions in the area.
The rain might be sticking around for a while. Storm Team 4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said parts of the D.C. area could possibly get more than an inch of rain each day for the next three days.
Theodore said that Sunday’s rain differed vastly from the Saturday’s batch of storms that brought record-breaking rainfall totals.
Reagan National Airport recorded 1.35 inches of rain on Sunday, the most of the three D.C.-area airports.
Saturday’s rain totals reached 4.6 inches in D.C., 6.5 inches in Montgomery County, 5.5 inches in Prince George’s County, 6.5 inches in Fairfax County and 5.5 inches in Prince William County, the National Weather Service reported.
Nearly 1 million gallons of diluted wastewater overflowed from a pumping station into Broad Creek in Fort Washington, Maryland, as record rain dumped on the region Saturday.
The Broad Creek Wastewater Pumping Station began overflowing at around 9 p.m. Saturday and did not stop until almost 2 a.m. Sunday.
Current conditions
Forecast
The stormy pattern that started Saturday may continue until Thursday, but even Friday has a slight chance of isolated activity, according to Theodore.
“We are stuck in this prolonged pattern as moisture will continue to feed right into the region from the south,” Storm Team 4 meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts said. “Any storms and rain showers will become more scattered in nature on Thursday as the pattern begins to break down.”
Until then, Ricketts said to expect rain chances daily.
- Monday: Cloudy with some showers and scattered storms. Very humid. Highs in the low 80s.
- Tuesday: Gray with showers and storms. Highs in the mid 80s.
- Wednesday: Rainy and stormy. Highs in the low to mid 80s.
Traffic and transit
WTOP’s Traffic reporter Ian Crawford said that with the rain overnight, areas where water normally pools up may be vulnerable to flooding — something to watch out for during the morning commute.
As of 4:30 a.m., Crawford said there were not many major road closures as a result of flooding, although high standing water has created some issues on Interstate 295 in D.C. and on Maryland Route 214 in parts of Anne Arundel County.
The National Weather Service said that as of 5 a.m., the 911 centers for Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s, Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland reported multiple roads were still closed due to high water.
A sinkhole opened up on Sunday morning in Germantown, Maryland, closing down Father Hurley Boulevard in both directions between Middlebrook Road and Crystal Rock Drive, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. Workers said it may take weeks to fix the problem.
Saturday’s rains caused multiple street closures, delays and water rescues due to flooding. Fire departments in Virginia and Maryland counties reported many motorists who had to be rescued when their vehicles got stranded on flooded streets.
The rain compounded delays on roads undergoing scheduled repairs and crashes were reported throughout Saturday, though by Sunday morning the roads were in slightly better shape.
Flooding conditions have suspended MTA service from Patapsco to Cromwell and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport stations. Shuttle bus service will be available.
Get the latest traffic report at WTOP’s Traffic page.
Power outages
Some 4,000 D.C. area residents lost power over the weekend due to the weather, but service has been restored to most households by midnight. Power companies worked throughout the weekend to restore power to affected homes.
