Author: ARLnow.com

Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.

BREAKING: Torrential Rain Causes Major Flash Flooding in Arlington County

By ARLnow.com
1/20

Update at 5:25 p.m. — It’s “too early to tell” whether a disaster declaration will be made due to the extensive damage from today’s flooding, an Arlington County spokeswoman tells ARLnow.com.

Per Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management:

Arlington County continues to work with state and local partners to assess the damage from today’s storms. Detailed damage assessments, especially for roadways and bridges, will take additional time as crews continue to assess impacts. Arlington PSCEM is in contact with VDEM and FEMA Region III and working to assess what assistance, if any, is available to our residents from state and federal programs.

Update at 5:20 p.m. — Chain Bridge has reopened.

Update at 4:25 p.m. — In Westover, a portion of 18th Street N. is closed due to the roadway being damaged by flooding. In High View Park/Hall’s Hill, a portion of 20th Street N. is closed at N. George Mason Drive for road repairs.

Update at 3:45 p.m. — Today’s event was classified as an “extraordinarily dangerous” Flash Flood Emergency by the National Weather Service. An NWS official said it was the first Flash Flood Emergency for Arlington and D.C. since the agency started using the classification in 2011.

Canal Road NW in D.C., meanwhile, will remain closed between Chain Bridge and Foxhall Road during the afternoon rush hour, officials said.

Update at 3:30 p.m. — A number of businesses in Westover Village are closed following this morning’s flooding.

Updated at 3:15 p.m. — Video posted to social media shows major flooding this morning in the area of 33rd and 34th streets at N. Kensington Street, several blocks from Yorktown High School. At least one home was reported to have been evacuated while several homes were damaged by floodwaters that reached mid-way up a front door.

Another video posted to Twitter shows flooding in the Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood.

https://twitter.com/lizspangler/status/1148308293699481600

Update at 3 p.m. — Flooding has prompted the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington to cancel all events and activities, the church said via Twitter.

The GW Parkway has reopened near the airport after it was closed due to flooding.

The Cherrydale Branch Library is closing early due to “power issues.” Dominion is currently reporting 434 customers without power in Arlington, mostly in and around Rosslyn.

Update at 2:15 p.m. — Arlington’s Solid Waste Bureau says it will help residents track down waste carts the floated away during this morning’s rain and flooding. 

Update at 1:05 p.m. — Video (below) shows flooding in the Westover Market and its attached, outdoor beer garden.

Update at 1 p.m. — “As flood conditions continue, please be safe and avoid standing and moving water,” writes Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol. “As the weather moves on, you can find more resources about cleanup, protection and water damage at https://emergency.arlingtonva.us“

Meanwhile, WAMU is reporting extensive flooding in Arlington’s Waverly Hills neighborhood. And a Flood Warning has been issued for Arlington until 6 p.m., replacing the earlier Flash Flood Warning.

The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a

* Flood Warning for… The City of Fairfax in northern Virginia… Arlington County in northern Virginia… The City of Falls Church in northern Virginia… Fairfax County in northern Virginia… The City of Alexandria in northern Virginia…

* Until 600 PM EDT.

* At 1252 PM EDT, reporting gauges indicate larger streams are still rising from the earlier torrential rain, and many road closures
are still being reported. Although the threat of rapid rise life threatening flooding is diminishing, some flooding is likely to continue for the rest of the afternoon. Therefore, this Flood

Warning replaces the Flash Flood Warning.

* Some locations that will experience flooding include… Arlington, Alexandria, Reston, Annandale, Springfield, Herndon, Fairfax, Fort Hunt, Vienna, Groveton, Falls Church, Huntington, Lowes Island, Mantua, Fort Belvoir, Pimmit Hills, McLean, American Legion Bridge, Reagan National Airport and Rosslyn.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. All interested parties should take necessary precautions immediately.

Update at 12:35 p.m. — Route 110 is being opened back up, per scanner traffic.

Video sent to ARLnow shows a parking lot at Marine Corps base Henderson Hall completely flooded. Also, videos posted to social media (below) shows raging waters along Four Mile Run creek near the Shirlington dog park and along N. Kirkwood Road at the height of the storm.

https://twitter.com/KaneCarolynn/status/1148257309321322496

https://twitter.com/_g_proffitt/status/1148267904737120256

Update at 12:15 p.m. — “Crews continue to inspect storm drains for blockages but many lines remain over capacity because of stream water levels,” says Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services.

Update at 12:10 p.m. — Flooding along Lubber Run may have washed out a pedestrian bridge, per a social media post.

https://twitter.com/btj/status/1148232021401112576

Also per social media, debris and floodwaters have blocked the Four Mile Run trail near Shirlington.

https://twitter.com/elizg23/status/1148253417644707841

Update at 12 p.m. — In addition to flooded basements, high standing water has been reported in a number of parking garages — including the Ballston Quarter parking garage and a garage used by Arlington County Police.

Chain Bridge remains closed at N. Glebe Road, with traffic being diverted onto Chain Bridge Road. Citing broadcast media, the National Weather Service reports major flooding along Canal Road:

NUMEROUS VEHICLES SUBMERGED ON CANAL ROAD NW NEAR FLETCHERS COVE BOATHOUSE. DRIVERS STRANDED ON VEHICLE ROOF TOPS, SOME SWAM TO SAFETY, AND OTHERS WERE ESCORTED TO SAFETY BY DC FIRE AND EMS.

More rain looks to be on the way, but we should start drying out later this afternoon.

Video posted to social media, meanwhile, shows a significant roof leak in the Virginia Square Metro station.

Update at 11:35 a.m. — A trained spotter in the Westover neighborhood reports 4.5 inches of rainfall so far this morning, per the National Weather Service, while Reagan National Airport reports nearly 3.5 inches of rainfall.

Arlington’s Emergency Communications Center says it has received 600 calls since 8:40 a.m., including 25 water rescues in Arlington and 27 flooded buildings.

A Flash Flood Warning remains in effect for Arlington through 1:45 p.m.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Police Operation in Ballston — Arlington County Police say they arrested a wanted individual in Ballston Wednesday evening, in front of the DARPA building on N. Randolph Street. Officers used a “diversionary device” — witnesses described it as a flashbang grenade — during the operation, a police spokeswoman told ARLnow. “One suspect was taken into custody without incident,” ACPD spokeswoman Kirby Clark said. Additional details were not immediately available. [Twitter]

‘Perfect Friday Night Date in Rosslyn’ — “A round of miniature golf is one of summer’s pleasures, whether putt-putting past pirate statues at a course by the beach or playing in a regional park closer to home. It works equally well as part of a date night or a group outing with friends. And it’s definitely not the kind of thing you’d expect to find popping up in the plaza outside a Rosslyn office building.” [Washington Post]

Beer Hall Nears Opening in Ballston — The opening of Bronson Bier Hall in Ballston, the successor to A-Town Bar and Grill, is about a month away. Most of the major interior construction appears to have been completed. [Instagram]

Amazon Hosts LGBT Reception — “A special reception [was] hosted by Amazon at a location in the heart of its massive planned expansion was held at Freddie’s Beach [Bar in Crystal City] to greet the area’s LGBT community.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Subsidies for Late Night Commuters — “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has kicked off an effort to support late-night workers who travel when transit service is not available. Since July 1, qualified workers – such as those in the hospitality or health-care industries – have been eligible to receive a $3 subsidy toward travel on Lyft for trips taken between their home and workplace between midnight and 4 a.m.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Community Foundation Awards Scholarships — “The Arlington Community Foundation awarded new college scholarships totaling more than $540,000 to 72 students who will attend college next year. An additional 105 scholarships totaling $281,000 were renewed for returning college students, for a total of 177 recipients.” [Press Release]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Flash Flood Watch Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

It’s shaping up to be a wet Sunday night.

Arlington County and surrounding areas are under a Flash Flood Watch starting at 6 p.m. Slow-moving rainstorms are expected to drop copious amounts of precipitation on much of the region, particularly to the west of D.C.

The expected downpours follow the strong storms that ripped through Arlington yesterday, dumping torrential rain on much of the county and saturating the ground. That combination could result in flooding.

More from the National Weather Service:

…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT… SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO TOTALS EXCEEDING 2 INCHES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND OTHER POOR DRAINAGE URBAN AREAS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. &&

File photo

UPDATED: Severe Storms Rumble Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Update at 9:40 p.m. — The Arlington County Fire Department responded to at least two reports of house fires caused by lightning strikes. The number of outages in Arlington reported by Dominion is now 966.

Update at 7:55 p.m. — Dominion is reporting 934 customers without power in Arlington County in the wake of the storms, which packed high winds and torrential rain. Portions of residential North Arlington appear to be the hardest hit.

Earlier: Arlington is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, as strong storms bear down on the county from the northwest.

More from the National Weather Service:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… NORTHWESTERN PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTHEASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… * UNTIL 745 PM EDT. * AT 645 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER GREAT FALLS, OR OVER HERNDON, MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS. SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED. IMPACT…DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS, AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON, ALEXANDRIA, GERMANTOWN, ROCKVILLE, BETHESDA, GAITHERSBURG, RESTON, OLNEY, COLLEGE PARK, GREENBELT, LANGLEY PARK, BELTSVILLE, VIENNA, FALLS CHURCH, CORAL HILLS, BLADENSBURG, PIMMIT HILLS, MCLEAN, AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE AND FORT TOTTEN. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING. && HAIL…<.75IN WIND…60MPH

Police: Would-Be Robber Armed with BB Gun Foiled in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police say they arrested a man Wednesday after he attempted to rob two people outside of a home in Ballston while brandishing a BB gun.

The robbery attempt happened around 11:30 p.m. on the 1200 block of N. Stuart Street, which is a block away from Washington-Liberty High School.

The BB gun-wielding suspect threatened one of the victims and demanded money, police say, but the victims fought back and the suspect was chased away and later arrested.

More from today’s ACPD crime report:

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 2019-07030318. 1200 block of N. Stuart Street. At approximately 11:41 p.m. on July 3, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the two victims were outside of a residence when an unknown male suspect approached them, allegedly brandishing what was later determined to be a BB gun, and threatened one of the victims, demanding cash. The second victim intervened and became engaged in a physical struggle with the suspect before chasing him away. Arriving officers located the suspect in the area, based upon the description provided in a lookout. The first victim was not injured. The second victim suffered minor injuries that did not require medical treatment. Elonte Jones-Davis, 19, of Washington, D.C. was arrested and charged with Attempted Robbery. He was held on no bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Gets Best View of Fireworks — On a hazy night, Arlington — particularly Rosslyn — had the best view of the expanded D.C. fireworks. Smoke obscured the viewing for many parts of the District. [Twitter, Twitter, Raw Story]

JBG Trying to Lure Big Tech to Arlington — “JBG Smith Properties CEO Matt Kelly recently met with “a handful” of big West Coast tech firms in a bid to entice them to come to National Landing now that Amazon.com Inc. has chosen the area for its second headquarters.” [Washington Business Journal]

Police Chase Ends in Arlington — A high-speed police chase along I-66 ended in Arlington, near the N. Glebe Road exit. Virginia State Police say a woman fled from police at speeds of up to 120 mph while her three children were in the car. [WJLA, Twitter]

A Modest Proposal for Arlington — In a letter to the editor published by the Arlington Sun Gazette, a man apparently upset by the renaming of Washington-Lee High School to Washington-Liberty suggests also renaming Arlington “Amazon’s bitch.” [InsideNova]

Ebbin Cast as NRA’s ‘Boogeyman’ — “[State Sen. Adam] Ebbin, when told of [state Sen. Bryce] Reeves’s remarks at the town hall, said he never made any of the comments attributed to him. ‘Apparently I’m a radical homosexual who’s misquoted,’ Ebbin said sarcastically.” [Washington Post]

Checking Car Seats in Arlington — Writing about the new Virginia law requiring rear-facing car seats for children under two and below a certain weight, the Arlington County Fire Department noted on social media: “ACFD no longer does child seat safety inspections. Arlington County Police Department offers regular inspections to ensure the child seat is safely installed and secured in your vehicle.” [Twitter]

Warner Highlights Sept. 11th Memorial Trail — “U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) are working together to further honor the heroes of September 11th, 2001. In a bipartisan resolution, Senators Toomey and Warner highlight the significance of the September 11th National Memorial Trail,” which runs through Arlington. [Press Release]

Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick/Twitter

UPDATE: ‘The Lot’ to Open Today Near Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:20 p.m. — In a new Facebook post, The Lot says it received its ABC permit at the last minute today and will serve beer tomorrow, on the Fourth of July. The beer garden says it will serve liquor starting tonight.

Update: We have received our ABC license at 5 pm!! (Third of July miracle!) We will serve liquor tonight, and beer and liquor tomorrow. Stand by for door opening time!

Update at 4:45 p.m. — The Lot did not, in fact, obtain a Virginia ABC permit necessary for serving beer, according to a new Facebook post. The beer garden will still open today and will serve tacos instead, with free tacos for the first 200 customers, they said on social media.

Good news and bad news. The good: Huge shout out to Arlington County for granting Health and Occupancy for the Lot to open!! The bad: ABC did not grant our license in time for an order to be placed before the Holiday. BUT!! We are are all here waiting to serve you all sooo we will still opening the Rebel Taco truck on the Lot, and the first 200 people to arrive tonight will get a free taco! Come eat and play in the sand…drinking will have to wait one more week, but hey, what’s one more week when we have waited 2 years.

Earlier: After years of planning and permit drama, The Lot beer garden near Clarendon says it is opening today “against all odds.”

According to an event page on Facebook, the beer garden at 3217 10th Street N. will be open “with a limited food and beverage menu” today at 5 p.m. It is also planning to be open starting at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow (July 4), at 5 p.m. on Friday, and at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

More from the event description:

Against all odds and contrary to popular belief, The Lot IS OPENING! A 22,000 square foot open-air beer garden and event space, the Lot features container bars, food trucks, and an adult SANDLot for all your bucket pong and corn hole needs.

Join us… July 3, weather-permitting, for a preview party with a limited food and beverage menu. We will continue the party straight through the weekend with soft openings on the 4th (11:30 am – close), 5th (5 pm – close), and 6th (11:30 am – close) of July.

Thank you to all our neighbors and friends who supported us through this tedious process and kept the faith.

Come eat, drink, and play at The Lot!

It’s unclear if The Lot was able to obtain all of the necessary permits needed to open. The Arlington County and Virginia ABC websites still list some permits as pending, though the information might be outdated or The Lot may have obtained temporary permits not reflected online.

A tipster tells ARLnow that opening preparations appear to be well underway, with less than two hours to go until opening.

“I also live within visual sight of The Lot and can see upwards of 10 workers making cosmetic improvements to the site as I write,” the tipster said just after 3 p.m. today.

Crime Report: Spate of N. Arlington Car Break-ins Continues

By ARLnow.com

There has been a recent increase in reports of car break-ins in residential portions of North Arlington, with more than a dozen vehicles broken into this week.

Arlington County Police reported this morning that around 10 vehicles were tampered with in the Bellevue Forest neighborhood in the early morning hours.

LARCENY FROM AUTO (series), 2019-07020047/07020061/07020062, 3000 block of N. Oxford Street/3100 block of N. Peary Street/3700 block of Roberts Lane. At approximately 6:17 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined that between approximately 5:30 a.m. and 6:17 a.m., an unknown suspect gained entry to and tampered with approximately 10, mostly unlocked vehicles and stole items of value. The suspect is described as a tall male with a slim build, wearing a long sleeve shirt, light colored pants and black sneakers. The investigation is ongoing.

Over the past few days, residents have reported similar vehicle break-ins and thefts in the Lyon Village, Virginia Square and Rock Spring neighborhoods, via social media and email listservs.

Police continue to ask residents to lock their cars at night, to discourage such break-ins.

The rest of this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report is below, after the jump.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Incubator Leaving Crystal City — “Startup incubator 1776 plans to open its new D.C. location this year and will ultimately shut down its Crystal City location. 1776 spokesman Lucas McCanna said the company will relocate to ‘the general McPherson Square area,’ but declined to give a specific address.” [Washington Business Journal]

AAA: Worst Times for Independence Day Travel — “Holiday travelers hailing from the area will face absolute gridlock along key freeway segments starting [today], July 3. Topping the list of the worst corridors for those departing Wednesday, July 3, is Interstate 270 northbound.” [Press Release]

Arlington County Holiday Closures — All Arlington County government offices, courts, libraries and facilities will be closed Thursday for the Independence Day holiday, though trash and recycling will still be collected. Also, “metered parking is not enforced but street parking near the US Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima), Long Bridge Park, and the Air Force Memorial will be restricted. Motorists should look for temporary ‘No Parking’ signs.” [Arlington County]

Memorial Bridge Closed to Pedestrians — In addition to other July 4 road closures around Arlington, Memorial Bridge will be closed to both vehicles and pedestrians throughout the day Thursday. [Twitter, National Park Service]

ART Bus Holiday Schedule — “ART will operate holiday service on Thursday, July 4, 2019, in observance of Independence Day. ART 41, 42, 45, 51, 55 and 87 will operate on Sunday schedules. All other ART routes will not operate and the ART customer call center will be closed.” [Arlington Transit]

Superintendent Search May Be Drawn Out — “Arlington’s new School Board chair, who will be focused in coming months on the selection of a new superintendent, asked for patience in the community as the process plays out. ‘Finding the right leader and the best fit for our community will take time,’ Tannia Talento said July 1 as she rotated in as chair of the School Board for the coming year.” [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak

Man Seriously Hurt in Early Morning Fire

By ARLnow.com
1/4

A man was burned and seriously injured in an early morning fire in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood Tuesday.

The fire broke out in a detached, two story garage and apartment on the 2300 block of S. Hayes Street. Firefighters arriving on scene around 2:30 a.m. found heavy smoke and flames coming from the structure, but were able to eventually extinguish the fire.

One man was transported to a burn center in serious condition and a firefighter was taken to a local hospital for dehydration, according to the Arlington County Fire Department. The main house on the property did not catch fire, but the Red Cross is assisting its two occupants, ACFD said.

Firefighters from Arlington, Alexandria, Reagan National Airport and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall all helped battle the flames.

Photos via Arlington County Fire Department

Police Looking for Suspects in Aurora Highlands Robbery

By ARLnow.com

A man was attacked and robbed of a backpack in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood near Crystal City yesterday morning.

Police say the robbery happened around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, on the 600 block of 26th Street S.

“The victim was walking in the area when he was approached by two suspects,” Arlington County Police said in a crime report. “After a brief struggle, the suspects stole the victim’s backpack and fled on foot. The victim suffered minor injuries that did not require medical treatment.”

Arriving officers, including a K9 unit, attempted to track down the suspects — described as males in their late teens or early 20s — but were unable to locate them. They did, however, find the backpack thanks to a Good Samaritan.

“Arriving officers canvased the area and the victim’s backpack was recovered in the area by an independent witness,” police said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

A resident told ARLnow that the daylight robbery was “violent” and witnessed by several residents, some of whom tried to chase down the suspects. She sent a photo that she said shows the suspects — who were wearing black clothing, including a knit cap and a hoodie — running down the sidewalk following the robbery.

(ARLnow could not immediately confirm that the two people in the photo were, in fact, the suspects.)

ACPD spokeswoman Kirby Clark did confirm that a resident “confronted the suspects in his yard,” after which “the suspects again fled on foot.” She said police do not encourage residents to chase criminal suspects.

“For your safety, citizens are not encouraged to chase suspects, however, they are encouraged to be active witnesses and report criminal activity to police by calling 911 in an emergency or 703-558-2222 in a non-emergent situation,” Clark said via email. “When providing information to dispatch, it should include a suspect(s) description, location, method and direction of travel. This will assist police arriving on scene and canvasing the area.”

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