Arlington and the surrounding area is now under a Flash Flood Warning.
The Flash Flood Warning means that sudden, localized flooding is imminent due to the heavy rains overnight. If you encounter a flooded roadway while driving, you’re strongly encouraged to “turn around, don’t drown.”
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… EASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 1015 AM EDT
* AT 709 AM EDT… NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN HAD FALLEN CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT UP TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS ARE RISING EXTREMELY RAPIDLY.
* SOME LOCATIONS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE HEAVY RAIN INCLUDE ALEXANDRIA… ANNANDALE… ARLINGTON… BALLSTON… BELLE HAVEN… BURKE… FRANCONIA… HYBLA VALLEY… LAKE BARCROFT… LINCOLNIA… MCLEAN… MERRIFIELD… OAKTON… REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT… ROSSLYN… SPRINGFIELD… THE I395 AND I495 INTERCHANGE… THE I66 AND I495 INTERCHANGE… TYSONS CORNER… VIENNA… WOLF TRAP… ASPEN HILL… BETHESDA… CHEVY CHASE… COLESVILLE… FAIRLAND… HILLANDALE… POTOMAC… ROCKVILLE… TAKOMA PARK… THE AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE… THE WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE… WHITE OAK… ADAMS MORGAN… AMERICAN UNIVERSITY… GEORGETOWN… DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON… US CAPITOL… CRYSTAL CITY… FORT TOTTEN… GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY… GROVETON… HOWARD UNIVERSITY… HUNTINGTON… MANTUA… NATIONALS PARK AND PIMMIT HILLS.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS… URBAN AREAS… HIGHWAYS… STREETS… UNDERPASSES AND OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.
MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. FLOODWATER USUALLY IS DEEPER THAN IT APPEARS. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. MAKE THE SMART CHOICE WHEN FLOODED ROADS ARE ENCOUNTERED… TURN AROUND… DONT DROWN.