Storms bring down trees, knock out power and expected to hinder Monday’s MARC service

July 21, 2019

Spring thunderstorms danced across the skies during a stormy period beginning on Mother's Day weekend. Lightning flickered behind the U.S. Capitol late that Saturday. High winds ahead of the storms forced officials to stop traffic on Route 50 at the Bay Bridge for a time. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)

After another scorching day in the D.C. area, strong evening storms brought down trees and left thousands of people without power.

Thunderstorms with wind gusts of up to 60 mph caused havoc around the region, with trees falling on houses and across roadways. Heavy rainfall also flooded several streets in the WTOP listening area.

There are no reports of injuries.

Pete Piringer, spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services, said in a Twitter post that all train traffic has been stopped after a tree fell across railroad tracks north of the Garrett Park MARC station.

Due to the downed tree, MARC’s Brunswick line will be impacted for the Monday morning commute. The rail service suggested that passengers consider alternate modes of transit if they usually enlist the service for their morning travel. Expect “major delays and train cancellations,” the rail service wrote in an early morning tweet.

 

The storms also knocked out power for thousands of customers in the area.

Pepco reported that close to 3,000 customers are without power as of 11:55 p.m., but by 4 a.m. Monday, that number had been reduced to about 700, mostly in Montgomery County.

In Northern Virginia, while at one point over 4,700 customers were in the dark, only about 1,000 remain without power, according to Dominion Energy. Most of those customers are in Loudoun County, just outside of Leesburg.

NOVEC reported 80 affected customers, while BGE is working on restoring power to just over 2,000 customers.



Out of the frying pan, into the flood

As if getting through this scorching heat weren’t enough, the area will also have to contend with flood chances at the beginning of the workweek. Thankfully, temperatures will be more tolerable.


The National Weather Service announced a the following areas and the D.C. will be under a flood watch that will be in effect from Monday afternoon through late Monday night.

Maryland

Anne Arundel, Carroll, Central and Southeast Howard Counties, Central and Southeast Montgomery County, Frederick, Northern Baltimore County, Northwest Harford County, Northwest Howard, Northwest Montgomery, Prince Georges, Southeast Harford Counties and Southern Baltimore.

Virginia

Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, Clarke County, Eastern Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Frederick, Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Western Loudoun County


Cooling centers:

DC

Cooling centers for residents and the homeless are open from noon to 6 p.m., with some outdoor pools, splash parks and shelters open laterView an interactive map of the District’s cooling centers.

Virginia

Maryland


Forecast:

More widespread thunderstorms are likely on Monday afternoon into Tuesday, when a cold front will sweep in from the Great Lakes and send temperatures back down into more seasonable mid to upper 80s.

Monday: A slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, becoming likely after midday. Highs near 90.

Tuesday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy and relatively cooler, with highs in the low to mid 80s.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the low to mid 80s.


Power outages:


Current conditions:

WTOP’s Ana Srikanth and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alejandro Alvarez

Alejandro Alvarez joined WTOP as a digital journalist and editor in June 2018. He is a reporter and photographer focusing on politics, political activism and international affairs.

Zeke Hartner

Zeke Hartner is a digital writer/editor who has been with WTOP since 2017. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s Political Science program and an avid news junkie.

Russ Wilson splashes water on his face from a fountain in New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2019. The heat wave that has been roasting much of the U.S. in recent days is just getting warmed up, with temperatures expected to soar to dangerous levels through the weekend. (AP/Seth Wenig)
A roofer pauses to wipe his face as he works on a new home under construction Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Houston. A heat wave is expected to send temperatures soaring close to 100 degrees through the weekend across much of the country. The National Weather Service estimates that more than 100 heat records will fall on Saturday. Most will not be the scorching daily highs, but for lack of cooling at night, something called nighttime lows. Those lows will be record highs. (AP/David J. Phillip)
Beating the heat, a tuber floats the cool Comal River, Thursday, July 18, 2019, in New Braunfels, Texas. (AP/Eric Gay)
Beating the heat, tubers float the Guadalupe River, Thursday, July 18, 2019, in New Braunfels, Texas. (AP/Eric Gay)
Beating the heat, a group sits in the Guadalupe River, Thursday, July 18, 2019, in New Braunfels, Texas. (AP/Eric Gay)
Kayakers paddle in a canal leading to the Detroit River in Detroit Thursday, July 18, 2019. Heat and humidity are expected to mount to dangerous levels as part of a wave of sweltering weather covering a substantial portion of the U.S. (AP/Paul Sancya)
Reona Dee Pearson visits with her dogs in a kennel at the Homeless Alliance day shelter Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Oklahoma City. The Homeless Alliance offers a kennel, complete with pet food and access to veterinary services, so that people with pets aren’t shut out of the system of care. Meanwhile, she can go inside for breakfast and lunch in air conditioning, showers, and access to computers and phones. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)
People watch television at the Homeless Alliance day shelter Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Oklahoma City. The air-conditioned day shelter, open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers breakfast and lunch, provides showers, offers access to computers, phone, and mail, and provides access to mental and physical healthcare, budgeting assistance and legal support. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings from the Southern Plains to Nebraska and as far east to New York State and parts of the East Coast. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)
An ostrich cools off in a shower of water at the Oklahoma City Zoo ,Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Oklahoma City. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings from the Southern Plains to Nebraska and as far east to New York State and parts of the East Coast. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)
A Galapagos tortoise cools off in a shower of water from a zookeeper at the Oklahoma City Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Oklahoma City. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings from the Southern Plains to Nebraska and as far east to New York State and parts of the East Coast. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)
A gorilla reaches for a frozen treat at the Oklahoma City Zoo Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Oklahoma City. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings from the Southern Plains to Nebraska and as far east to New York State and parts of the East Coast. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)
Kids play in a fountain to cool off as temperatures approach 100 degrees Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. The heat wave that has been roasting much of the U.S. in recent days is just getting warmed up, with temperatures expected to soar to dangerous levels through the weekend. (AP/Charlie Riedel)
A boy plays in a fountain to cool off as temperatures approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit Thursday, July 18, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (38 Celsius)
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