Heavy rain is on its way out of the D.C. region, after a number of jurisdictions in the area were under a flash flood watch Sunday morning.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch late Saturday night for Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland until 10 a.m. Sunday. Bands of moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms that arrived late Saturday stuck around into Sunday morning.
Moderate to heavy rainfall generally lining up along/east of I-95 at this time, especially over southern MD. Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for southern MD until 10 AM. Isolated instances of flooding are also possible along/east of I-95. pic.twitter.com/O2BNuhTfLu
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 16, 2020
An area of low pressure parked over the Chesapeake Bay on Sunday morning, but eventually moved out of the area to the northeast, taking the showers with it, according to Storm Team4 meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts. Overnight, the heaviest rain fell along and east of I-95.
Rain totals reached about 2 inches in some areas and brought the risk of high water on roadways and along streams historically vulnerable to flooding, particularly in southern Maryland to central Virginia.
“Since that area of low pressure’s still kind of hanging out in the Chesapeake Bay, we’re still seeing that ring of rain and wetness over the area,” Ricketts said. “But as we get through the middle part of the morning, it’ll start to lift out of here and, really, by this afternoon we will be dry.”
While the worst of the weather is on its way out, Ricketts said some isolated, lighter showers will stick around later in the day Sunday before the entire region is looking dry by Sunday night. Temperatures will be abnormally cool Sunday, staying in the 70s with lots of cloud cover.
Conditions were even worse just south of the National Capital Region. Some parts of central Virginia saw more than 9 inches of rain during the first half of the weekend. In Chesterfield County — just south of Richmond — police, fire and emergency medical teams evacuated people from their homes downstream from the Falling Creek Dam. More rain, and the continued risk for flooding, is expected in central Virginia on Sunday.
Another rescue. Look how high the water is on the traffic sign! #cfield pic.twitter.com/DczUPQXyZ5
— Chesterfield Police (@CCPDVa) August 15, 2020
Inclement weather around the District is less likely through Wednesday, but rain chances return during the midweek.
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Forecast:
- Sunday: Showers in the morning east of the Blue Ridge, moving out through mid morning with breezy conditions. Lingering afternoon shower with cloudy skies. Temperatures in the mid 70s.
- Overnight: Partly cloudy to mostly clear with temperatures in the 60s.
- Monday: Partly to mostly sunny with a 30% chance of a passing storm. Temperatures in the low to mid 80s.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny with a stray afternoon storm possible and less humid conditions. Temperatures in the mid 80s.
- Wednesday: Partly sunny with afternoon storms possible and muggy conditions. Temperatures will be in the lower to mid 80s.
