After the heavy rain that led to flooding in several areas along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and the Atlantic coast, the D.C. area is not in the clear just yet. Here's what you need to know to start your Halloween weekend.
After the heavy rain that led to flooding in several areas along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and the Atlantic coast, the D.C. area is not in the clear just yet. Here’s what you need to know to start your Halloween weekend.
The bulk of Friday’s rainfall concluded by early Saturday, but tidal and coastal flooding continues with moderate to major flooding in the forecast through at least Saturday, the National Weather Service said. A flood warning remains in effect for parts of Prince George’s County, Maryland, until 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
Rivers will be running high from Friday’s rain, and with the chance of a few more showers Saturday, some larger streams and small rivers will continue to rise.
On Saturday morning, a friend of the owner of Storm Bros. Ice Cream on Dock Street in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, told WTOP’s John Domen that they were cleaning up from Friday but bracing for more flooding.
“Most of the time they’ve been able to keep up with it, but this was a little more than what he was expecting,” said Jay Mahaffey.
He said that the owner called him Friday afternoon and asked him to help out one of the managers who had been at the shop since 2 a.m. on Friday.
Mahaffey arrived with an extra water pump around 7 p.m. Friday and stayed through 7 a.m. on Saturday morning to help clear the water.
“I went out to Lowe’s and purchased an extra pump came in around 7 p.m. last night been here till seven this morning,” Mahaffey said. “Just trying to keep the water out. We have probably four or five pumps running. We did pretty good. We saved the ice cream, but we had to shut all the freezers in the customer side of the store down so just so that we wouldn’t get any electrical shorts or anything like that.”
Caution tape is seen at the waterfront in Georgetown on Saturday morning after severe flooding in the D.C. area.
(WTOP/Acacia James)
WTOP/Acacia James
Caution tape is seen at the waterfront in Georgetown on Saturday morning after severe flooding in the D.C. area.
(WTOP/Acacia James)
WTOP/Acacia James
Jay Mahaffey worked through the night Friday into Saturday to help his friend’s shop Storm Bros. Ice Cream on Dock Street clear out the water from the flooding in downtown Annapolis, Maryland.
(WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
A sign on a shop in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, on Saturday morning.
(WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
A road is closed in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, on Saturday morning.
(WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
A person paddles their boat through a parking lot as they survey the flooding in downtown Annapolis, Md., Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. The city is anticipating potential historic tidal flooding conditions in low-lying areas this Friday and Saturday.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
People walk past the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial as they survey the flooding in downtown Annapolis, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. The city is anticipating potential historic tidal flooding conditions in low-lying areas Friday and Saturday.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
A person paddles their boat over a street as they and others survey the flooding in downtown Annapolis, Md., Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. The city is anticipating potential historic tidal flooding conditions in low-lying areas Friday and Saturday.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
The D.C. Tidal Basin remained flooded into Saturday morning
(WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
The view of the Washington Monument on Saturday morning after storms flooded the Tidal Basin
(WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
The scene in Shady Side, Maryland, as storm clouds gather around a body of water.
(Courtesy Harry Scholten)
Courtesy Harry Scholten
A playground in Shady Side, Maryland, is flooded by rising waters caused by storms in the region.
(Courtesy Harry Scholten)
Courtesy Harry Scholten
A woman walks in flood waters caused by the Potomac River in the historic Old Town section of Alexandria, Va., Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. At right is a column indicating the depth of past flood waters. The National Weather Service is warning that the mid-Atlantic region could see one of the biggest tidal floods of the last decade or two as heavy rain and winds pummel the region on Friday.
(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
AP Photo/Cliff Owen
Old Town residents Heidi DeuPree, right, and Keith Harmon canoe on a street flooded by the Potomac River as it overflows its banks in the historic Old Town section of Alexandria, Va., Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. The National Weather Service is warning that the mid-Atlantic region could see one of the biggest tidal floods of the last decade or two as heavy rain and winds pummel the region on Friday.
(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
AP Photo/Cliff Owen
Alice Estrada, president and CEO of the Annapolis Maritime Museum, said, “We are as prone to flooding as the downtown City Dock area, so when they flood, we flood as well.”
(Courtesy Jay Fleming)
Courtesy Jay Fleming
Annapolis Martime Museum board member Jay Fleming’s passion for documenting the people, the ecology and the history of the Chesapeake Bay is evident in his photographs.
(Courtesy Jay Fleming)
Courtesy Jay Fleming
At the Wharf in D.C., people use a boat to navigate the rising water brought on by heavy rain on Friday, Oc.t 29, 2021.
(WTOP/Valerie Bonk)
WTOP/Valerie Bonk
Water rises at the fish market at The Wharf in D.C. during heavy rain on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021.
(WTOP/Valerie Bonk)
WTOP/Valerie Bonk
Flooding in Alexandria, Virginia, on Oct. 29, 2021.
(WTOP/Kyle Cooper)
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
Flooding in Alexandria, Virginia, on Oct. 29, 2021.
(WTOP/Kyle Cooper)
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
Submerged streets at the Annapolis City dock are seen.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Submerged streets at the Annapolis City dock.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Statues near the city dock in Annapolis, Maryland are partly submerged by floodwaters.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, located at the City Dock in historic Annapolis Md., is surrounded by water from tidal flooding, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. The city is anticipating potential historic tidal flooding conditions in low-lying areas this Friday and Saturday.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
A side-by-side comparison of Alexandria at 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 29.
(WTOP/ Neal Augenstein and Luke Lukert)
WTOP/ Neal Augenstein and Luke Lukert
Jellyfish are washing up from the coastal flooding in Annapolis.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Annapolis businesses prepped for the storm by stacking sandbags outside their stores. .
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Here’s what it looked like in D.C.
(WTOP/Hillary Howard)
WTOP/Hillary Howard
The storm brought coastal flooding to parts of D.C.
(WTOP/Hillary Howard)
WTOP/Hillary Howard
Flood walls are up on the Georgetown waterfront.
(WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
WTOP/Neal Augenstein
The intersecton of King and Union streets in Old Town Alexandria are seen on Oct. 29, 2021. The area often floods with heavy rain.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Old Town Alexandria experienced flooding early on Oct. 29, 2021.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
A powerful storm flooded Old Town Alexandria. Boats are seen at the city’s marina early Oct. 29, 2021.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Konrad Karandy of Annapolis, Md., puts sandbags in front of a restaurant in downtown Annapolis, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, as the water from tidal flooding rises. The city is anticipating potential historic tidal flooding conditions in low-lying areas this Friday and Saturday.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
In Maryland, parts of Maryland, including west central Anne Arundel counties and southern Baltimore are under a flood warning through the weekend.
A coastal flood warning for the most of the region ends at 8 a.m. but the warning will remain through Sunday morning for in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
On Friday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency for areas that are under a coastal flood warning throughout the weekend.
The highest tides in 10 to 20 years are expected, with threats including the inundation of water on roads, sidewalks, docks, marinas, and residential and commercial areas, a news release from Hogan’s office said. The National Weather Service forecast that the region could see the worst tidal flooding since Hurricane Isabel in 2003.
The water near downtown Annapolis is higher than the boardwalk in some areas and tides are three feet above normal levels Saturday morning.
In addition, watch out for slick roads in may locations.
While a bulk of the heavy rainfall has concluded, additional rain will track from south to north tonight. Additionally, tidal/coastal flooding continues with moderate to major flooding in the forecast! Water levels remain elevated through at least Sat. #MDwx#VAwx#WVwx#DCwxpic.twitter.com/uZOSTxs7BF
The weather on Friday topped some flooding records in the area, especially surrounding the Chesapeake Bay.
Low pressure and persistent onshore winds resulted in a historic coastal flood event along portions of the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River. Coastal flooding is expected to continue through early Sunday. To put this event into historical context: https://t.co/hxLTokshMdpic.twitter.com/HPLc9aMosE
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On Friday morning, Annapolis experience some “extreme conditions,” with floodwaters submerging streets around the city dock in what Mayor Gavin Buckley said was “probably the highest tides we’ve seen in decades.”
There were similar scenes in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia, at high tides both in the early morning and shortly after 3:30 p.m. Friday
Already high standing water had closed several streets in Old Town, including Union Street between Queen Street and Prince Street, Alexandria Police said.
In D.C., where high tide arrived at 3 p.m., parts of The Wharf in Southwest were largely underwater, including the historic Fish Market.
Forecast
Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Breezy and cooler. A few scattered showers or drizzle. Highs in the upper 50s to mid-60s.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy early then gradual clearing late in the day. Sunny but breezy afternoon. Highs in the low to mid-60s.
Monday: Sunny and seasonable. Steady breeze. Highs in the low to mid-60s.