Heavy rain hit DC area Wednesday night, with Debby to bring more this week

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Parts of the D.C. region received heavy rain and storms Wednesday as Tropical Storm Debby pushes its way north after smacking the Gulf Coast. Here’s what you need to know.

Loudoun County, Virginia, already received 2 to 4 inches of rain and is likely to get another 1 to 2 inches are possible by Thursday morning.

“We’ll see more of the same Thursday late going to Thursday night and through Friday morning. All as some of the outermost bands from Debby, still spiraling off the coast of South Carolina, continues to move northward,” said 7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson.

The flood threat will be at its highest late Thursday going into Friday where the D.C. area will be blanketed by about 5 inches of rain

Showers continues to fall across portions of the area, with some locations pushing into the 2-3″ range (see graphic for 24-hour totals). The threat for showers & isolated t’storms persists into the night. Low temperatures stay in the mid 60s to low 70s. #MDwx #VAwx #DCwx #WVwx pic.twitter.com/X4em1yaijC

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 8, 2024

As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain had already fallen in the area and another 1 to 3 inches are possible, according to the National Weather Service. Places such as Frederick, Ijamsville, Ballenger Creek and New Market were likely to experience flash flooding.

The NWS warned of flooding in small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses and low-lying areas. A flash flooding warning was temporarily in effect for southeastern Frederick County due to passing heavy rain.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Debby was meandering off the coast of the Carolinas as it moves north. 7News First Alert Senior Meteorologist Brian van de Graaff told WTOP that a cold front moving through the region brought cooler temperatures and heavy storms Wednesday before the remnants of Debby move in by the end of the week.

“We are watching for the potential for some very intense rainfall,” he said.

The First Alert Weather Center projects 2 to 4 inches of rain for the D.C. region from Debby. The National Weather Service also issued a flood watch for southeastern Virginia through Friday evening.

Another flood watch, for Western Maryland and parts of Virginia, such as Culpeper and Orange counties, is in effect from Thursday evening to Friday evening, the NWS said.

Looking ahead, “The good news is, coming over a 48-hour period would mean lesser chances for flooding, but … flooding can’t be ruled out. The National Weather Service may have to put some advisories out for that heading into your Friday,” van de Graaff said.

It’s going to depend on the storm’s path. That might mean gusty winds and, perhaps, even some isolated tornadoes, according to van de Graaff, something they’ll be watching very carefully.

“It’s all dependent on the path of that storm and which way it goes. I do think it all moves out of here just in time for the weekend,” van de Graaff said.

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Preparations for Debby

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of preparedness ahead of the “significant risk” Tropical Storm Debby poses to the D.C. area, and said, “Should there be a public emergency due to severe weather, preparations will be made and local agencies will be given additional resources and support to protect the public.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for the Commonwealth as the impending weather “could cause transportation difficulties and power outages.”

“As we prepare for Tropical Storm Debby, I urge all Virginians and visitors to stay informed, follow local emergency guidelines, and take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their families and communities,” Youngkin said. “There is the potential for strong winds, heavy rains, and possible flooding across regions of the Commonwealth.”

Transportation officials in Virginia said that if travel is a must during heavy weather, drivers should check road conditions before heading out by checking the 511 Virginia mobile app, the 511 Virginia site or by calling 511. Travelers should also report any concerns such as flooding, downed trees or road hazards to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s 24-hour Customer Service Center.

In Montgomery County, Maryland, officials urged residents to sign up for Alert Montgomery to keep up to date with flood risks as Tropical Storm Debby approaches.

“With a storm system like this, what we’re concerned about is the near-random locations of high intensity rainfalls that overwhelm the local stormwater management systems in that area,” said Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard.

There are areas of the county that flood regularly when heavy storms hit.

“The aptly named Beach Drive is a common place where we see flooding,” Stoddard said.

There are also flood monitors that dot the county, with sensors that serve as warnings before actual flooding take place, said Stoddard.

“We have teams around the county making sure those monitors are actively working right now.”

There are sandbags available for residents in Calvert County in Maryland and in Alexandria in Virginia.

Forecast

CURRENT CONDITIONS

WTOP’s Ciara Wells and Nick Iannelli contributed to this report. 

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