lightning

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Riot Cops Sued by ACLU — “Defendants John Poe 1 – 20 are officers of the Arlington County Police Department and other non-federal law enforcement officials who participated in the attack on peaceful protesters in and near Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020. They are sued in their individual capacities.” [Associated Press, Washington Post]

Washington Monument Struck By Lightning — As seen from the Crystal City / Pentagon City area, the Washington Monument took a direct lightning strike last night. [Twitter]

Marymount Apologizes for Removed BLM Tweet — “One specific concern we heard in the Listening Session referenced the removal of a social media post last Saturday which included the message, ‘Black Lives Matter.’ This was the wrong decision. We apologize and acknowledge the impact this decision has had on our Marymount community.” [Marymount University]

Arlington Unemployment Spikes — “The COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent government-imposed lockdown and resulting economic freefall cost nearly 17,000 Arlington residents their jobs between mid-March and mid-April, according to new state data… The county’s unemployment rate, which in March had been a miniscule 2.2 percent, ballooned to 7 percent, knocking the county off its longstanding perch of having the best jobs picture in the commonwealth.” [InsideNova]

Local Centenarian Gets Neighborhood Parade — “Right around 5 p.m. on her 100th birthday, her usually quiet neighborhood in North Arlington was shaken up by loud sirens and flashing lights. A caravan of vehicles blaring sirens, tooting horns and shouting greetings snaked down the street for several blocks. The parade of sorts was led by two Arlington County Police officers on motorcycles followed by countless police vehicles, Arlington County Fire Department engines, sheriffs’ vehicles and several private cars and trucks, one sporting an inflatable unicorn on its roof.” [Arlington Catholic Herald]

APS Welcomes New Superintendent — “This is Dr. Francisco Durán’s first week as Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools. Welcome aboard! As a reminder, there are several Virtual Town Halls scheduled this month for our community, students and staff to get to know Dr. Durán.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Trash Collection Still Facing Delays — “Arlington’s trash/recycling contractor continues to experience staffing issues due to COVID-19. As a result, some routes recently have not been completed on their scheduled day, requiring a follow-up run the next day. If trash and/or recycling is not collected on your service day, leave the carts at the curb the next day.  If carts have not been serviced by noon the second day, submit a missed collection ticket.” [Arlington County]

County Offers Mask Flyers — “If a business or residence needs ‘face coverings required’ signs (in multiple languages), we have flyers for download here.” [Arlington County, Twitter]

JUST IN: Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Part of Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:10 p.m. — A new Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Arlington and D.C. until 11:45 p.m.

A portion of northwestern Arlington is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning as a line of strong storms packing frequent lightning roll in from the west.

More from the National Weather Service:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… THE WEST CENTRAL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… SOUTH CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… THE SOUTHERN CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTHWESTERN ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… * UNTIL 1130 PM EDT. * AT 1047 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER OAKTON, OR OVER FAIRFAX, MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 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, BETHESDA, ANNANDALE, SPRINGFIELD, FAIRFAX, VIENNA, FALLS CHURCH, MANTUA, PIMMIT HILLS, AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE, MCLEAN, POTOMAC, NORTH BETHESDA, BURKE, LINCOLNIA, TYSONS CORNER, MERRIFIELD, NEWINGTON, LAKE BARCROFT AND CHEVY CHASE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING. && HAIL…1.00IN WIND…60MPH

Apartment Building Catches Fire After Lightning Strike

By ARLnow.com

Lightning-sparked fire on 21st Road N. (photo courtesy @ACFDPIO)Fire broke out at a small apartment building north of Rosslyn tonight, following a suspected lightning strike.

Firefighters battled flames near the roofline of the building, on the 1600 block of 21st Road N., starting around 9:00 p.m.

Smoke from the fire could be seen from several miles away.

As of 10:00 p.m. the fire had been mostly extinguished and firefighters were checking for hotspots. The residents from at least one apartment in the building are expected to be displaced by the blaze.

From Twitter:

Photo courtesy @ACFDPIO

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Flowers outside a Rosslyn office building

Mercedes Catches Fire After Lightning Strike — An Arlington man’s beloved Mercedes 430 CLK convertible was “burned to a crisp” Monday night after a lightning strike. The lightning apparently struck a power pole, which then fell over. A sparking power line ignited the Mercedes. [Washington Post]

Arlington Honors 16 Trees — The Arlington County Board recognized 16 “Notable Trees” around the county at its meeting yesterday afternoon. During the 10-minute ceremony, details about each tree were read individually as the tree’s owner came up to the front of the room to collect a plaque or certificate. Of the 16 trees, 14 are located in north Arlington and only 2 are located in south Arlington. [Arlington County]

Shirlington Apartment Building Loses Power — Io Piazza, an upscale apartment building in Shirlington, had been without power for more than 24 hours as of last night. An underground transformer that serves the building failed during Monday’s thunderstorms. [Patch]

Year-Round Gift Wrapping at Pentagon City Mall — Starting May 8, the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City will be offering year-round complimentary gift wrapping service. The service is available for purchases of $250 or more at luxury stores. Previously, the service was only offered during certain holidays.

Fmr. Treasurer Endorses Fallon — Frank O’Leary, who retired as Arlington County Treasurer last year, has endorsed Peter Fallon for County Board. “Peter Fallon is a mature, thoughtful, fiscally responsible candidate with an amazing grasp of the issues that confront our county,” O’Leary said in a statement. “I enthusiastically support his approach to improving Arlington.” [InsideNova]

Cristol Published Buzzfeed Listicle — County Board candidate Katie Cristol has published a Buzzfeed listicle, complete with animated GIFs, highlighting “7 Reasons to Vote in Arlington Virginia.” Among the reasons are “housing is getting less affordable,” “over 50% of Arlington is under 35,” “women need a strong voice in Arlington” and “it’s fun.” [Buzzfeed]

UPDATED: Tornado Warning, Flood Watch Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for Arlington this afternoon as a dangerous storm system rolled through the area.

The tornado warning has since been canceled, but a flood watch remains in effect through 8:00 p.m. (See below.)

Medics in Arlington responded to at least one report of a person struck by lightning during the storms.

Police reported significant flooding along Four Mile Run in the area of I-395. Flooding was also reported on S. Scott Street near the Wellington apartments, and on Route 50 near Glebe Road.

As of 1:15 p.m., 212 Dominion customers in Arlington County were said to be without power. According to a reader, the Harris Teeter at Lee Highway and N. Harrison Street was among those that had lost power.

…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF MARYLAND…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING

* A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL IMPACT THE REGION TODAY. A PLUME OF HEAVY RAINFALL IS MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THIS EVENING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

* THE HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS… ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND LOCATIONS ESPECIALLY PRONE TO FRESHWATER FLOODING. NEVER CROSS ROADS THAT ARE FLOODED. TURN AROUND DON`T DROWN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

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.

UPDATED: Tree Down on Glebe, Soldiers Struck By Lightning

By ARLnow.com
1/9

(Updated at 5:50 p.m.) A strong thunderstorm ripped through Arlington during Monday’s evening rush hour, knocking down trees, knocking out power and injuring two soldiers on Fort Myer.

The soldiers were reportedly struck by lightning on or around Whipple Field on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. They were reported to be conscious and alert — with non-life-threatening injuries — and were being tended to by Arlington firefighters and paramedics.

On N. Glebe Road just south of Ballston, a large tree was uprooted by the storm, bringing down power lines and crushing two parked cars. The power lines were live and one witness said the sparking wires “burned a hole through the pavement” below. No injuries were reported, but emergency crews have closed the southbound lanes of Glebe Road in the area of 4th Street N. as a result.

The lane closures on Glebe will stretch well into the night as repairs take place. The repair work and power pole replacement is expected to take 6-8 hours.

As of 5:50 p.m., Dominion was reporting 5,629 customers without power in Arlington County. The power outages have also impacted numerous traffic signals around the county. Dark traffic signals should be treated as a four-way stop.

Possible Lightning Strike in Barcroft

By ARLnow.com

House struck by lightning in Barcroft (photo courtesy Chris M.) House struck by lightning in Barcroft (photo courtesy Chris M.)

(Updated at 8:00 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters are on the scene of a house fire in the Barcroft neighborhood, which was reportedly sparked by a lightning strike.

Firefighters battled flames in the attic of the home, on the 700 block of S. Wakefield Street, after arriving on scene just before 7:30 p.m. The house is located next to Barcroft Elementary School.

Units on the scene reported that the chimney of the home partially collapsed from the lightning strike, which occurred while a line of storms swept through the area this evening.

Photos courtesy Chris M.

Firefighters Battle Attic Fires in Fairlington

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters battled a pair of attic fires in the Fairlington neighborhood of Arlington early this morning.

We hear that lightning from last night’s storms most likely sparked the fires, though as of this afternoon an Arlington County Fire Department spokesman was unable to confirm any details about the cause.

ACFD spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl did reveal, however, that there was “significant damage to both attic areas.”

Photo courtesy @VolunteerHappy

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

DCA Workers Injured By Lightning Strike — Two workers at Reagan National Airport were injured after lightning struck near American Airlines Gate 32. The injuries were not considered life-threatening. [WUSA 9]

Recounting 9/11 at Va. Hospital Center — The injured came flooding into Virginia Hospital Center by private car, military vehicle and ambulance on Sept. 11, 2001, employees recalled at a recent commemoration. Now the hospital says they’re better prepared to handle all sorts of emergencies. [MyFoxDC, WTOP]

Rare, Unseen Pentagon Historical Photos — Life Magazine has release a set of previously-unpublished photos of the Pentagon while it was still under construction in the early 1940s. [Life.com]

More on Tuesday’s Candidates Debate — In case you missed Tuesday’s Arlington County Civic Federation-sponsored debate, the Sun Gazette has a summary of the 32nd District state Senate debate between incumbent Sen. Janet Howell and Republican challenger Patrick Forrest, plus the three-way debate between Del. Bob Brink and his independent and Independent Green challengers for the 48th District House of Delegates seat.

GOP Candidate Prepared for Everything — Trying to prove that his long-shot campaign is in it to win it, Republican 30th District state Senate candidate Tim McGhee told attendees at Tuesday night’s debate that he’s prepared for pretty much anything and won’t be making any major policy shifts. “This is a built to last campaign that, whether its hurricanes, earthquakes, UN votes, stock market swings, whatever may be happening, nothing has to change between now and election day,” he said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

9/11 Ride Arrives, Departs Without Incident — No major incidents were reported on Friday or Saturday as a convoy of 1,800 motorcyclists arrived in Pentagon City, then departed for New York City. [Washington Post]

Two Struck By Lightning in Lyon Village — A couple is reported to be in serious condition after being struck by lightning on the 1500 block of N. Highland Street, in Lyon Village, on Friday. The force of the lightning strike was so strong that it “shattered the lenses in one of their glasses and knocked their shoes off.” [WUSA9, MyFoxDC]

New Arlington Arts Center Director Named — Stefanie Fedor has been named the new executive director of the Arlington Arts Center. [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by edobson22207

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Training Day — U.S. Navy Lt. Christine Flood, an Arlington native, trains Afghan National Army medics on basic nursing skills, infectious disease control and hospital trauma procedures at the Kandahar Regional Medical Hospital on June 5. [U.S. Army]

House Fire in Leeway-Overlee — A fire broke out in the back of a house on the 5500 block of 24th Street N. on Sunday afternoon, possibly due to a lightning strike. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze before it spread to other parts of the structure.

Streetcar Supporters Meet Tonight — The Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition will meet tonight at Bangkok 54 (2919 Columbia Pike) to discuss “the development impacts of streetcar projects in the Washington-Metropolitan region,” including the Columbia Pike streetcar project. The discussion is being called “If you build it, they will come.” [Alexandria Times]

Crystal City BID Extended — The Crystal City Business Improvement District has been renewed. The BID, which sponsors events and performs other activities designed to boost the image of Crystal City while bringing more visitors to the neighborhood, was approaching the end of its original five-year sunset provision. The County Board voted to renew the BID in perpetuity, with a staff review in five years. The BID is funded by a tax surcharge on businesses within Crystal City. [Sun Gazette]

Military Man Becomes Priest — The Sun Gazette profiles Luke Dundon, one of the three new priests in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Dundon is a Bishop O’Connell and a Naval Academy graduate, as well as an avid marathoner. [Sun Gazette]

Military photo by Sgt. Richard Andrade

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