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“It was a Tornado, Definitely”

By ARLnow.com

In a small south Arlington neighborhood wedged between I-395, Glebe Road and Four Mile Run, all hell broke loose when the storms passed through this afternoon.

“It was a tornado, definitely,” said resident Paschal Nash, as she inspected the tree branches scattered throughout her yard. “It started with just light rains, then rains increased but then the winds… you just started hearing [stuff] crashing, like breaking… I watched the tree actually split half because of the lightning.”

Down the street, near the corner of South Four Mile Run Drive and South Cleveland Street, a large oak tree fell and came crashing through the house of one of Nash’s neighbors. The house will likely be condemned, said a county employee on the scene.

“You heard [the wind] pick up, like you can actually here it drag something… I had never heard that before… it was definitely a mini tornado, no way in hell it was anything else,” Nash said.

Down the street, there was another large tree uprooted. It crushed a fence as it came crashing down across two front yards.

A man across the street said his mother lived in the house, but wasn’t at home at the time. He said he couldn’t see much because of the downpour, but afterwards he saw the extent of the damage.

“Everything just came down,” he said.

So far, the National Weather Service has not indicated that the storm that ripped through Arlington displayed the characteristics of a tornado.

Severe Thunderstorm Updates

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3:45 p.m. — Reports of power outages, trees down and lights on flash around the area. Lights at Clarendon Blvd and Fillmore St and Wilson Blvd and Highland St are flashing.

Update at 4:10 p.m. — The traffic lights at Route 50 and Glebe Road are dark. A wall collapsed in Shirlington as a result of the storm, no injuries. Major backups on South I-395 right now.

Update at 4:15 p.m. — Traffic lights dark at South Joyce St and Army Navy Drive, and on Columbia Pike up to South Scott St. Accident reported at Wilson Blvd and Patrick Henry Drive. Tree down on car on GW Parkway near Marina Drive, two people trapped. Major backups reported on southbound GW Parkway.

Update at 4:20 p.m. — About 11,500 Dominion customers are without power in Arlington. Several county government offices are without power.

Update at 4:40 p.m. — Power flickering on the eastern end of Columbia Pike. Power pole sparking at 10th and Wilson Blvd in Clarendon (h/t @NewsCat_in_DC)

Update at 4:50 p.m. — Lots of trees and wires down reported in the Shirlington area. Tree down on wires at S. Randolph Street and 19th Street.

Firefighters are freeing people from elevators that became stuck as a result of power outages.

Heavy traffic reported on GW Parkway, I-395 and Route 1. Most VDOT traffic cameras in the area are down.

Update at 4:55 p.m. — I-395 is “a parking lot,” avoid at all costs. A county employee is reported to have fell and broke his leg at the county impound lot — possibly storm-related.

Update at 5:00 p.m. — More storms approaching from the west, not as severe as the previous batch (h/t @capitalweather).

NBC4 is reporting a 66 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Arlington during the storm. NBC4’s Veronica Johnson says the storm cell that moved through Arlington might have produced a tornado in Prince George’s County.

Update at 5:10 p.m. — More than 10,500 Dominion customers still without power.

We’re hearing that both victims in the vehicle that was struck by a tree on the GW Parkway have been extricated from the vehicle. They may not have been trapped, but rescuers were worried about the consequences if they tried to get out before the tree was secured.

Update at 5:25 p.m. — Arlington County’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated. Power outages in Arlington back above 11,500. Heavy damage, including multiple trees down reported at 32nd Street and Stafford Street in Fairlington.

Update at 5:45 p.m. — Extremely heavy traffic throughout the area, including on secondary roads. South Eads Street, Ridge Road, Crystal Drive, eastern end of Columbia Pike all heavy. Parking lot on Route 1. Major delays reported on Blue, Yellow lines.

Update at 5:50 p.m. — Large tree fell onto house on the 2700 block of South Cleveland Street, police report. Structural damage suspected.

Update at 5:55 p.m. — Calling it right now: worst region-wide traffic since the ice storm two years ago.

Update at 6:05 p.m. — The northbound GW Parkway has reopened, but the southbound lanes will remain closed for “a few hours,” Park Police spokesperson tells WTOP.

Update at 6:55 p.m. — More than 12,000 Dominion customers are still without power in Arlington.

Update at 7:10 p.m. — All of Shirlington Village appears to be without power.

Update at 7:25 p.m. — Various news outlets report very heavy damage in the Del Ray section of Alexandria. Close to areas reporting heavy damage in south Arlington.

Update at 8:40 p.m. — There are still calls coming in for people stuck in elevators. Not clear if they’re storm-related. Traffic still slow on southbound I-395 near Shirlington.

Update at 8:55 p.m. — More than 11,500 still without power.

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Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued

By ARLnow.com

Lightning, booming thunder and pouring rain is affecting much of Arlington as storms head into the area from the northwest.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the area.

Update at 2:20 p.m. — We’re hearing a tree is down at North Quebec Street and Lorcom Lane.

Severe Thunderstorm Rolls Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:30 p.m. — In Arlington, 8,800+ Dominion customers are still in the dark at this hour. Most are expected to have power by morning.

Arlington was pounded by high winds and heavy rain this afternoon as a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area, turning roads into rivers and knocking out power in several parts of the county.

As of 4:45, more than 8,400 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington. A single, widespread outage is affecting the area around Arlington Ridge Road and the eastern end of Columbia Pike.

Arlington appears to have been spared the worst of the storm’s wrath, however. In the City of Alexandria, nearly twice as many homes lost power. And in the District, authorities were reporting numerous instances of trees down and rescues in progress.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

The Heat Returns — After a stormy but cooler start to the week, the sun and the heat are back. And for good measure, the rains of the past two days have left us with plenty of humidity. See the forecast from weather.com, which — in a non-Arlington-related aside — is in the midst of yet another baffling redesign.

Slapsticon Returns — Slapsticon, the vintage comedy film festival, is returning to Arlington with a full slate of films from the silent and early sound eras. The four-day festival, held at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater, kicks off at 1:00 this afternoon. The highlight of the festival will come on Saturday, when The Thief Catcher, a lost Charlie Chaplin film that was recently found at an antiques sale in Michigan, re-premieres on the big screen.

Obesity Discussion Tonight — Voice Box, the topical chat show on Arlington Independent Media, will be hosting a discussion on obesity and obesity prevention tonight. The scheduled guests are Amy Maclosky, Director of Food Services for Arlington Public Schools, and Dr. Scott Kahan, Co-Director of George Washington University’s Weight Management Program. The program films before a live studio audience. For those wishing to attend, doors open at 7:00 p.m. at AIM’s Clarendon studios (2701-C Wilson Blvd).

Flickr pool photo by mennyj.

Major Power Outage Hits Clarendon Area as Storm Approaches

By ARLnow.com

Update: Power was restored around 6:35 p.m.

Photo of a Gold’s Gym step aerobics class being held outside during the power outage courtesy Matthew Henneman.

More than 3,600 Dominion customers are without power in the Clarendon area this evening. Police are reporting that numerous traffic lights are dark on Wilson, Clarendon and Washington Boulevards, causing traffic tie-ups in the area.

It’s not clear what’s causing the power outage (Dominion says “a circuit line is down”) or when the lights might come back on. A line of storms is approaching the area from the southwest, which could compound traffic problems if the lights remain out when the rain starts.

Budget Cuts Keep Water Park Closed on Scorching Day

By ARLnow.com

With temperatures hitting 102 degrees in Arlington this afternoon, it would be a perfect day for kids to cool down at the spray park in Shirlington’s Drew Park. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts that took effect last week, the park is now closed on Tuesdays.

Tomorrow, as temperatures again climb toward the triple digit mark, the water will be shut off at Hayes Park, on North Lincoln Street near Clarendon. On Thursday, the county’s third spray park — Lyon Village Park — will go dry.

“Our FY2011 budget cuts included closing each spray park one day a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day,” Parks Department spokesperson Susan Kalish said in an email. “The good news is that there are at least two spraygrounds open in the County on any given day.”

In addition to cutting three days from the spray park schedule, the budget also included a reduction in hours. Formerly, each park was open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. during the summer. Now, the parks are open from noon to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 8:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Some people question the wisdom of cutting morning hours.

“Now parents who wanted to take their kids at 10:00 a.m. before the heat of the day will be forced to take their kids during the hottest parts of the day,” one parent told us.

The cuts will collectively save the county $20,000 in water costs per year.

Arlington County photo.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Near Misses for DCA-Bound Planes — An alarming number of close calls have been occurring in the skies over Washington. According to the Washington Post’s Ashley Halsey III, who knows a thing or two about aircraft accidents, there have been several recent near-misses involving planes on approach to Reagan National Airport. Inexperienced air traffic controllers may be part of the problem, Halsey reports.

Hot Hot Heat — Expect temperatures to touch or surpass 100 degrees today, as a dangerous heatwave envelops the east coast. A heat advisory will be in effect from noon today to 11:00 Wednesday night. With the high humidity, it could feel as hot as 110 degrees. Such temperatures could be deadly, especially for young children and the elderly.

Flickr pool photo by Rukasu1.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

It’s July — After the hottest June on record in DC, we have finally reached the temperate month of July.

Virginia/WMATA Deal Imminent? — The Metro board of directors is holding an emergency phone meeting this morning to approve a last-minute funding deal with Virginia’s state government. Two weeks ago Gov. Bob McDonnell threatened to withhold $50 million in funding for the agency unless the state could get two seats on the Metro board. More from the Washington Examiner.

Lawmakers Blast Arlington Cemetery Mistakes — At a hearing on mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) told Army Secretary John McHugh that he was “downright angry” about the mistakes that led to hundreds of misidentified or unmarked graves. “Management ineptitude and neglect has resulted in a web of errors,” Skelton said. “How in the world could this tragedy be allowed to happen?” More from NPR.

State Police Cracking Down for the Fourth — Virginia State Police will step up enforcement this weekend, Dr. Gridlock reports. Officers will be on the lookout for speeders, drunk drivers and people not wearing their seat belts.

Miss Virginia Overcame Speech Impediment — Caitlin Uze, the new Miss Virginia and a Washington-Lee High School grad, still has a bit of a lisp. But as a kid in Arlington’s public schools, her speech impeach impediment was much more noticeable, and it led to her being teased mercilessly by a bully. During her reign as Miss Virginia, Uze will use her experience to encourage kids to build self-confidence. More from the Arlington Connection.

Murray Relishes Moran-Limbaugh Spat — To the delight of underdog Republican challenger Patrick Murray, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has taken aim at his opponent, congressman Jim Moran (D-Va). Limbaugh called Moran a “left-wing hatemonger” after Moran suggested that Limbaugh may be partially responsible for inciting violence against census workers. In an email, Murray’s campaign called Limbaugh’s on-air rant “a huge breakthrough.”

Strong Storm Rolls Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3:45 p.m. — Traffic has reopened on Route 50.

A strong thunderstorm brought high winds, stinging rain and booming thunder to Arlington and the much of the Washington metro area this afternoon.

At least eight cases of downed trees, branches and utility wires have been reported. More than 5,700 Dominion customers were without power immediately after the storm.

The following damage has been reported:

  • On Route 50, traffic was blocked in both directions at Montague Street after power lines fell across the road.
  • The ramp from I-395 to Shirlington was flooded.
  • The traffic light at Wilson Boulevard and Patrick Henry Drive was dark after power lines were knocked down on nearby North Madison Street.
  • A tree came down at Wilson Boulevard and North McKinley Road, knocking out power to the neighborhood.

Here’s some video from the height of the storm in South Arlington.

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