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Wednesday Storm Recovery Update

By ARLnow.com

Dominion appears to be making good progress in restoring power to customers still affected by Friday’s storms.

As of 2:30 p.m, there were 3,960 Dominion customers in Arlington without power. That’s down from 15,654 as of 10:00 yesterday (Tuesday) morning. Dominion says it’s a day ahead of its storm restoration target.

“Service for virtually all customers in Northern Virginia and the Richmond metro area who lost electric service because of the storms should be restored by Friday night,” the company said.

“We have more than 5,000 employees, retirees, contractors and utility crews from 18 states and Canada who will continue to work straight through the July 4th holiday and will not stop until we get the lights back on for everyone,” said Rodney Blevins, Dominion vice president of Electric Distribution Operations, in a statement.

Arlington County, meanwhile, said this morning that 17 County roads remain blocked following the storms. Crews are working through today’s holiday to clear road of downed trees and debris. The county said that two trees came down on roads last night, and cautioned residents to be aware of damaged trees and tree limbs, which can still pose a danger.

Four county intersections are without functioning traffic signals, while five traffic signals are on generator power.

Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Qunicy Street) is open until 9:00 tonight for residents who want to seek relief from the heat (or read a book).

Flickr pool photo by alvesfamily

July 4 Fireworks Viewing Areas and Road Closures

By ARLnow.com

The region’s big Independence Day fireworks display on the National Mall is expected to kick off around 9:10 p.m. tonight

The display will last about 17 minutes, according to the National Park Service. For those who want to watch the fireworks from this side of the Potomac River, there are a number of places to watch the fireworks in and around Arlington tonight.

Among them:

Numerous road closures will be put in place to keep fireworks watchers safe. The planned closures include Memorial Bridge, Memorial Circle, and portions of Columbia Pike, eastbound Route 50, Washington Boulevard, and Long Bridge Drive. A full list is available on the Arlington County Police Department website.

Additionally, police are reminding fireworks-goers that grills, fireworks and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on county and federal park lands. Coolers and backpacks will be subject to search.

If you’re planning on going out to watch the fireworks, you might want to pack an umbrella. Storms are possible between 5:00 and 10:00 tonight, according to the Capital Weather Gang.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA.

Send us your fireworks and Fourth of July celebration photos via our Flickr page. We’ll be publishing a number of Flickr photos tomorrow. Want to know how to take great fireworks photos? See the guide posted by We Love DC.

Dislosure: Arlington County is advertising its Fourth of July event at Long Bridge Park with ARLnow.com.

Latest Recovery Statistics from Arlington County

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County says it is making good progress in its continued storm recovery efforts. The county released some updated facts and figures today regarding the storm cleanup.

  • 10 county intersections are still without functioning traffic signals, down from 96 immediately after the storm.
  • 18 county streets are currently blocked by fallen trees and debris, down from a peak of 45 after the storm.
  • County crews have collected more than 395 tons of storm-related debris.
  • Tree limbs and other plant debris is being turned into mulch.
  • Nine county crews are out collecting brush today.
  • Power and air conditioning has been restored the Culpepper Garden senior living center. Dominion had been asked to prioritize power restoration to the facility.
  • 911 is now accessible by cell phone, but landline callers are being asked to call the non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.
  • While those who can’t reach emergency dispatchers via phone are being asked to report the emergency at the nearest fire station, only one such incident has been reported. One person went to a fire station to report a grease fire at the Harris Teeter grocery store on Glebe Road.
  • Regular trash and recycling pickup was completed yesterday, except where streets were blocked due to downed power lines.
  • “Hundreds” of trees are down in parks, along with other plant debris. Park-goers are asked to “please use caution in County parks, outdoor facilities and trails.”
  • Long Branch Nature Center is expected to “remain closed for several more days.”

Flickr pool photo by Divaknevil

New Library Hours Take Effect Today

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) Six Arlington branch libraries will be open an extra day per week starting this week, thanks to additional library funding approved earlier this year.

The Aurora Highlands, Cherrydale and Glencarlyn branch libraries are now scheduled to be open on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., while the Columbia Pike, Shirlington and Westover libraries are now scheduled to be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursdays.

From July 1, 2010 to last week, all six libraries had been closed on those respective days due to budget cuts. This year’s budget included an extra $442,996 in funding to restore pre-recession branch library operating hours.

Due to power outages, the Cherrydale library is actually closed today. Other branches, including Aurora Highlands, Glencarlyn, Columbia Pike, Shirlington and Westover, opened early today in order to function as cooling centers.

The libraries and other Arlington County government offices and facilities will be closed tomorrow for the July 4 holiday.

Update at 3:40 p.m. — The Columbia Pike branch library now has power and has reopened. Arlington Central Library will be open tomorrow (July 4) from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Areas Where Dominion Crews Will Be Working Today

By ARLnow.com

Dominion has released the following list of roads and intersections in Arlington where its crews are planning on working today (Tuesday).

Dominion says its on track to restore power to 80-85 percent of customers affected by Friday’s storms by the end of the day today. The company says 90-95 percent of affected customers should be back on line by Thursday night, with “virtually all remaining customers” restored by Saturday night.

Dominion crews and mutual aid crews will be working through the Fourth of July holiday, the company said.

As of 10:00 a.m., there were 15,654 Dominion customers still without power in Arlington, according to the company’s outage map. The planned power line work sites today are:

  • 14th St S
  • 16th St South
  • 4th St N & Washington Blvd
  • 6th St & N Lincoln St
  • Arlington Ridge Rd @ S 23rd St
  • Barton St & 2nd St
  • Carlyn Springs Rd & S 1st Pl
  • Columbia Pike & S Scott St
  • Lorcom Ln & Nellie Custis
  • N 23 Rd St & N Fillmore St
  • N 26th St & N Glebe Rd
  • N 29th St & Westmoreland St
  • N 30th St
  • N 36th St & N Kensington St
  • N Columbus St
  • N Kenilworth St
  • N Kennebec St
  • N Nelson La & N 27th St
  • N Pershing Dr @ N Oxford St
  • N 9th St & N Fairfax Dr
  • N Somerset St & Little Falls St
  • N. 13th St. & Buchanan St.
  • N. 26th St & N. Harrison S
  • N. Harrison St & N. 26th St
  • N. Woodrow St & 21st St
  • S 17th St.
  • S Courthouse Rd
  • S Frederick St
  • S Highland St
  • S Pollard St
  • S Taylor St
  • S Veitch St
  • S. 16th St & S. Nelson St
  • Washington Blvd
  • Wilson Blvd & N Liberty St

Flickr pool photo by ddimick

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Power Outage Update — As of 8:30 a.m., there were 14,860 Dominion customers still without power in Arlington. That’s down from  27,586 outages as of 9:30 yesterday morning.

911 Now Accessible By Cell Phone — Arlington County says its 911 system is now properly receiving calls from cell phones. Problems were reported with the system yesterday afternoon.

Cancel Special Events on the Fourth? — Citing power outages and a dodgy 911 system, Arlington Office of Emergency Management Director Jack Brown says he’s not sure it’s the best idea for Arlington to host events for the Fourth of July tomorrow. He told the Washington Post yesterday: “I’m questioning having a special event during an emergency.” [Washington Post]

School Board Renews Murphy’s Contract — Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy had his contract renewed at Monday morning’s School Board meeting. The contract calls for Dr. Murphy to stay with the school system until the end of the 2015-2016 school year. He’ll be paid an annual salary of $209,976. [Washington Post]

Community Pools Busy — The indoor pools at Yorktown, Wakefield and Washington-Lee high schools were all busy this weekend, in the wake of Friday’s storms. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Reports Problems with 911 From Cell Phones

By ARLnow.com

Update at 12:40 p.m. — Arlington County says its Emergency Communications Center is now accessible from cell phones, but other problems may remain.

More problems with the county’s 911 system are being reported as the area continues to recover from Friday’s storms.

Arlington County says its Emergency Communications Center is “experiencing problems with 911 calls from wireless phones.”

“Verizon is working to fix the problem,” the county said in a brief statement. “Please call our alternate emergency number at 703-741-3035 for assistance if you cannot get through on 9-1-1 or go to your local Fire Station.”

As stated during a press conference with the head of the county’s Office of Emergency Management earlier today, Arlington’s non-emergency number, 703-558-2222, may also be an option for cell phone users to reach emergency dispatchers.

County: Storm Recovery is ‘Slow and Steady’

By ARLnow.com

The director of Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) says the county and utility companies are “making slow and steady progress” in the cleanup and recovery efforts following Friday night’s storm.

At a press conference today, OEM Director Jack Brown told reporters that Dominion is making “yeoman strides” to restore power to tens of thousands of Arlington residents. Despite the widespread power outages — 26,997 Dominion customers were without power as of 12:45 p.m., down from 68,000 Friday night — Brown said there has so far been no loss of life as a result of heat following the storm.

Dominion expects to restore power to 80-85 percent of customers by Tuesday night, and 90-95 percent of customers by Thursday night. Restoration works is being focused on high-density areas.

“It is a matter of priorities,” Brown said. “Eventually Dominion will get to the neighborhoods.”

Brown said power has been restored to most critical county infrastructure, but noted that Culpepper Garden, home to 276 low- and moderate-income Arlington seniors, is running on generator power and currently does not have air conditioning. The seniors are being kept in the facility for now while Dominion is being asked to prioritize power restoration to the facility, Brown said.

Brown encouraged residents who don’t have power to go to the county’s 16 cooling centers, its shopping malls, or its community pools. Arlington has set up a 24-hour drop-in cooling center at the Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th Street S.). Daytime cooling centers include other Arlington community centers and libraries, as well as the Ballston and Pentagon City malls. Currently the Yorktown and Wakefield high school community pools are open, while the Washington-Lee pool has closed due to a lack of water pressure.

The county is asking residents to bring elderly and disabled neighbors to cooling centers, if need be.

“We need to pull together,” Brown said. “This event could last for several days, possibly a couple of weeks. Let’s check on your neighbors. It’s really about neighbors helping neighbors. Volunteer to transport those in need to county cooling centers.”

Brown said that all major county thoroughfares are open, although 19 county road remain blocked by storm debris. A dozen county crews are working to clear the debris, and debris pickup is expected to continue for the next 2-3 weeks, Brown said. Meanwhile, 39 traffic signals are still dark this afternoon (down from a peak of 96) because of power outages. Citing last night’s fatal pedestrian accident, Brown encouraged motorists to drive carefully on county streets.

“Please drive safely,” Brown said. “We really need people to slow down, particularly at these intersections. Please treat all… intersections [with non-functioning traffic signals] as four way stops.”

Brown said 911 service “remains spotty” in Arlington. He said residents who want to report an emergency should first try 911, then the county non-emergency number at 703-558-2222, then — if all else fails — seek help at the nearest fire station.

Verizon provides the Arlington’s 911 infrastructure and Brown said the county is going to investigate what went wrong.

“The county is going to conduct a thorough investigation of what happened to our 911 system… so we don’t have a repeat of this in the future,” he said. So far, he said, there have been no reports of anybody suffering serious consequences as a result of a delay in response due to a 911 failure.

Brown said that other county communications infrastructure has performed well. Despite some disruptions in the hours following the storm, Brown said cell phone service has been one of the county’s most reliable forms of communication. He noted, however, that the county’s radio systems did not suffer any outages as a result of the storm. Brown also said that RACES, the county’s emergency amateur radio network, was activated over the weekend.

All in all, Brown said he’s pleased with the response to the storm so far.

“The county’s resources have been stretched very thin,” Brown said. “I think we’ve done a good job of responding.”

Sunday Evening Power Outage Update

By ARLnow.com

Dominion continues to make progress in restoring power to Arlington households in the wake of Friday night’s storms.

As of 8:00 Sunday night, 33,879 Dominion customers were still without power in Arlington, down from 59,000 around noon on Saturday. Dominion says it hopes to restore power to 80-85 of all customers by Tuesday night, and 90-95 percent of customers by Thursday night.

“While we are dedicated to restoring power as quickly as possible, safety remains the No. 1 priority,” said Dominion spokesman, in a statement. “We want our customers to be safe, and we want our crews to be safe. Our crews will be working under extremely trying conditions due to the extreme heat while wearing heavy protective clothing. We ask that everyone be considerate of them and not interfere in the restoration process.”

In a press release, the company noted that it’s focusing on restoring power to larger customers before focusing on neighborhoods.

Initial restoration work focuses on large electric transmission lines and critical facilities such as emergency call centers, hospitals and cooling centers. For that reason, customers may not see crews working in their neighborhoods in the initial days. The focus then turns to power lines serving large numbers of customers and then to neighborhood circuits. Dominion will work around the clock until all customers have their power restored.

UPDATE (3): Thousands Still Without Power in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Update at 8:00 p.m. — The number of Dominion customers without power in Arlington has dipped below 50,000 — as of 7:55 p.m. it stands at 49,921 — for the first time since the storm. That’s down from the peak of 68,000 customers without power in the county immediately after the Friday night storm.

County Manager Barbara Donnellan earlier released a statement about the cleanup effort.

“It will take several days for life to get back to normal,” she said. “We urge people to stay out of the heat, stay hydrated, drive safely and check on their neighbors.”

Update at 4:55 p.m. — Long lines have been reported at local gas stations, with at least two stations even reportedly running out of gas. Many local grocery stores have also sold out of ice. The Pentagon City food court was very crowded as of 2:00 this afternoon, with many using it as a refuge.

Update at 4:35 p.m. — Arlington County is urging residents to check on neighbors, especially “those who are elderly or who have limited mobility.” If their homes are hot due to a lack of air conditioning, the county recommends taking them to a local cooling center (see list, below).

Also, the county is advising those without phone service to go to a local fire station if unable to dial 911. 

County Manager Barbara Donnellan declared a local emergency for Arlington around 12:30 p.m.

Earlier: The powerful storm that ripped through the region last night has left about 60 percent of Arlington County without power, according to authorities.

Winds of up to 70 miles per hour caused widespread damage across Arlington last night. Trees and large branches fell across roads and highways, utility lines were knocked down, newspaper boxes and other debris was blown into streets, and some roofs were damaged. Facing hundreds of calls, police and firefighters were often limited to simply placing cones, police tape and flares around downed trees in the roadway. In one instance, however, a half dozen residents helped two police officers remove a tree from the southbound lanes of George Mason Drive near Pershing Drive.

As of 4:30 p.m., Dominion was reporting 51,101 customers without power in Arlington, down from 58,878 customers just after noon. Though Dominion was not providing estimates of when power will be restored, county officials said it could be a while.

“It appears that it may be a number of days before power is fully restored,” the county told reporters. As a result of the power outages, Arlington has closed all three of its publicly-accessible pools. Some 80 traffic signals were dark as of this morning; drivers are reminded to treat non-functioning traffic lights as a four-way stop.

The power outages and downed trees are also affecting Metro. While WMATA says most of the Metro system is operating normally, a power outage at Courthouse station has prompted Metro to close the station and set up bus service between Rosslyn and Clarendon. Some Metrobus service has been detoured or delayed by downed trees, including the 7A, 7F, 16A and 16B lines.

Cell phone service was also spotty in parts of the county — including the Courthouse, Clarendon and Columbia Pike areas — and a number of Twitter users were reporting a loss of cable and landline phone service. Arlington County says its non-emergency number (703-558-2222) is experiencing problems, but is still encouraging residents to call 911 only in the event of an emergency.

With another heat advisory in effect today (see below), Arlington has started compiling a list of cooling centers for residents without power. Along the places to take refuge are:

  • Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd)
  • Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th Street S.)
  • Madison Community Center (3829 N. Stafford Street)
  • Dept. Parks & Rec Trades Center (S. Taylor Street, just off S. Arlington Mill Dr.)
  • Pentagon City Mall (1250 S. Hayes St.)
  • Aurora Hills Library (735 S. 18th St.)
  • Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St.)

The National Weather Service issued the following Heat Advisory for today:

HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING… … EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS CANCELLED…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

* HEAT INDEX VALUES… 100 TO 105 DEGREES.

* TEMPERATURES… IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S.

* IMPACT… RISK OF HEAT EXHAUSTION OR OTHER HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS FOR THOSE WITHOUT AIR-CONDITIONING OR THOSE SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS… STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM… STAY OUT OF THE SUN… AND CHECK IN ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE… RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHTWEIGHT AND LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK… THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR-CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY – CALL 9 1 1.

According to the Capital Weather Gang, another line of severe storms is possible later today.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has declared a State of Emergency for the state. According to the governor’s office, 2.5 million people are without power throughout Virginia — the largest non-hurricane power outage in Virginia history. The governor’s office also confirmed six fatalities as a result of falling trees during the storm.

Photos below courtesy Brian W., Brendan L., Jason G., Breandan M., @maureenhoch, @Aggathug, @Wink303, @acsjacobson, @Greg_Hudson, @whitae4000, Keith H., @snowbrdchick99, @SRod17, @KenHagemann, @gogogaryo

1/27

UPDATED: Region Under Severe Thunderstorm Warning

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:30 p.m.) The region is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning through 11:15 p.m. Forecasters say a line of powerful storms known as a derecho is quickly moving our way from the Ohio Valley.

From the National Weather Service:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING…

* UNTIL 1115 PM EDT

* AT 1009 PM EDT… SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF BRUNSWICK TO OATLANDS TO 10 MILES SOUTH OF BEALETON TO 25 MILES WEST OF MASSAPONAX… AND WERE MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH. THIS LINE OF STORMS IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… HARRY GROVE STADIUM… SOUTH RIDING… LANSDOWNE… BROADLANDS… POOLESVILLE… HERNDON… DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT… COUNTRYSIDE… LOWES ISLAND… GREEN VALLEY…

THIS IS A DANGEROUS LINE OF STORMS. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH… MOVE INDOORS TO A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO… REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

THIS LINE OF STORMS HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

Also:

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO IMPACT REGION THIS EVENING…

AT 745 PM… A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WAS CROSSING SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA AND CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO HIT THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS BETWEEN 8 AND 8:30 PM… THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY BETWEEN 8:30 AND 9 PM… THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR INCLUDING THE GREATER WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN AREAS BETWEEN 9:30 AND 10 PM… THEN REACHING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BETWEEN 10:30 AND 11 PM.

THIS LINE OF STORMS HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING MAJOR WIND DAMAGE ACROSS WEST VIRGINIA DUE TO WIND GUSTS OVER 75 MPH… ALONG WITH PROLIFIC CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

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