Strong thunderstorms dumped heavy rain, which saw some water rescues and several crashes as the D.C. area headed home during Wednesday’s afternoon commute. Here’s what you need to know.
The torrential downpour prompted a flash flood warning in Northern Virginia, which has since been replaced by a flood warning that ended at 9 p.m. Wednesday evening. The areas under the warning included Arlington, the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and parts of Fairfax County.
The National Weather Service said it anticipated around 3 inches of rain to have fallen in affected areas.
The slug of heavy rain started in Northwest D.C. and moved on to Montgomery County in Maryland, making its way to parts of Fairfax County in Virginia, including the “mixing bowl” in Springfield, Oakton, Mantua and Herndon, 7New First Alert meteorologist Steve Rudin said.
Radar loop: 330 pm…Very heavy rainfall continues slow across the DC and Baltimore metros! Some areas may see a quick inch or two depending on your location. If you encounter high water on the road, Turn Around Don’t Drown. #MDwx #VAwx #DCwx #WVwx pic.twitter.com/oyNhgn1QFO
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 5, 2023
The storm then petered out before moving south, but Rudin said there may be a few rumbles of thunder through Wednesday evening.
Just before 5 p.m., the National Weather service reported water rescues in Fairfax County, including in Merrifield, Falls Church, Annandale, and also the City of Alexandria.
WTOP Traffic said there was quite a bit of residual water, particularly in the area of Prosperity Avenue and Woodburn Road.
Callers to the WTOP Traffic Center reported numerous instances of road flooding including high water on Route 50 near Jaguar Trail, Route 29 near Graham Road and Prosperity Avenue south of Accotink Creek.
“The Accotink Creek overtopped Woodburn Road which was closed near Spicewood Drive,” WTOP traffic reporter Dave Dildine said, adding that there were also a few crashes and darkened traffic signals at major intersections, such as Backlick and Edsall roads in Virginia.
