(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Arlington County is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 4:30 p.m. and a Flash Flood Warning until 6:45 p.m.
Parts of Arlington were inundated by heavy rain and frequent lightning and thunder this afternoon. There were scattered reports of power outages along Columbia Pike and people trapped in stuck elevators in Virginia Square and other parts of the county.
A wind gust of 58 miles per hour was reported in the Cherrydale neighborhood of Arlington during the storm, according to the National Weather Service. Flooding was reported in the westbound lanes of Washington Blvd, prompting police to close a ramp from Route 50.
From the National Weather Service:
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… WEST CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… EAST CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 430 PM EDT
* AT 339 PM EDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED OVER CRYSTAL CITY…AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON…NATIONALS PARK…CRYSTAL CITY…HUNTINGTON…ROSSLYN… GROVETON…BALLSTON…US CAPITOL…ANACOSTIA…GEORGETOWN…HYBLA VALLEY…MARLOW HEIGHTS…FOREST HEIGHTS…ROCK CREEK…THE MALL… BOLLING AIR FORCE…BARCROFT…JEFFERSON MANOR…CHERRYDALE AND WESTOVER.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS…LARGE HAIL…DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
Also from NWS:
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR… THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… EAST CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 645 PM EDT
* AT 344 PM EDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE AREA. UP TO ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.
THIS INCLUDES FLOOD PRONE ROADS LOCATIONS MILITARY ROAD AT 36TH ROAD…18TH STREET AT UPTON STREET…17TH STREET NORTH AT NORTH BUCHANAN ST… SOUTH TROY STREET NEAR LONG BRANCH… BRADDOCK ROAD AT WEST STREET… AND RHODE ISLAND AVENUE NORTHEAST BETWEEN 2ND AND CAPI.