Update at 12:15 p.m. — A Flood Warning has now been issued.
Earlier: Arlington and much of the region is under a Flood Watch as the remnants of Hurricane Zeta track across the South and towards the D.C. area.
Rain is expected to begin overnight and continue throughout Thursday. Around 2-3 inches of rain are expected to fall.
Zeta will also bring windy conditions, with winds of up to 30-40 mph during the peak of the storm, later in the day on Thursday. That raises the possibility of downed trees and power lines.
Zeta made landfall late Wednesday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane, stronger than initially expected. As of 9 p.m. tonight the storm was still packing hurricane-force winds as it tears through Gulfport, Biloxi and other areas along the Gulf of Mexico. It’s expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Birmingham, Atlanta, Asheville, Roanoke and Richmond before reaching our region.
4 PM CDT Wednesday, October 28 Hurricane #Zeta Key Messages. Zeta is making landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana. Hurricane conditions and life-threatening storm surge imminent along portions of the southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. https://t.co/bDPuXcHB38 pic.twitter.com/hjjl3RH0vP
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 28, 2020
More on the Flood Watch from the National Weather Service:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF VIRGINIA AND EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS: IN VIRGINIA, ALBEMARLE, AUGUSTA, CENTRAL VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE, CLARKE, EASTERN HIGHLAND, GREENE, MADISON, NELSON, NORTHERN VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE, PAGE, RAPPAHANNOCK, ROCKINGHAM, SHENANDOAH, WARREN AND WESTERN HIGHLAND. IN EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA, EASTERN PENDLETON AND WESTERN PENDLETON.
* FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
* HEAVY RAINFALL FROM ZETA COULD LEAD TO SOME FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS, CREEKS, AND URBAN AREAS. RAIN AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.
* SCATTERED INCIDENTS OF FLOODING DUE TO HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE. CLOGGED DRAINS DUE TO LEAF DEBRIS MAY CAUSE ADDITIONAL FLOODING CONCERNS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
DO NOT ENTER OR CROSS FLOWING WATER OR WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
STAY AWAY OR BE SWEPT AWAY. RIVER BANKS AND CULVERTS CAN BECOME UNSTABLE AND UNSAFE.
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.
Here is an overview of what to expect from the remnants of Zeta. A widespread 2 to 3 inches of rainfall are likely with a Flood Watch in effect from 4 AM through 10 PM Thursday. Minor instances of flooding will be possible as this system moves through. #MDwx #VAwx #WVwx #DCwx pic.twitter.com/S0Dk0HESzy
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) October 29, 2020