tornado

Outdoor Warning Siren to Sound This Morning

By ARLnow.com

Arlington will be testing its outdoor warning systems in Rosslyn, Courthouse and Pentagon City this morning.

Between 10:00 a.m. and noon, the county’s Office of Emergency Management will sound a series of three loud beeps in each area, followed by a voice broadcast in English and Spanish.

Today is Tornado Preparedness Day in Virginia, with a statewide tornado drill scheduled for 9:45 a.m. A test tornado warning will be broadcast on television and radio stations, as well as on NOAA weather radio. The period between March and May is generally considered peak tornado season.

Tornado Watch Issued for Area

By ARLnow.com

Update at 12:50 p.m. — The tornado watch has been canceled.

Warm temperatures are going to give way to strong storms as a cold front moves through the region later today.

The National Weather Service just issued a Tornado Watch, warning that the storms could include tornadic activity. The watch is in effect until 4:00 p.m.

Weather Alerts Issued

By ARLnow.com

This morning’s heavy rain and high winds have prompted the National Weather Service to issue a number of alerts and advisories for Arlington and the surrounding area:

Tornado Watch:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 762 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

ABERDEEN… ALEXANDRIA… ANNAPOLIS… ARLINGTON… BALTIMORE… BEL AIR… BERRYVILLE… CHANTILLY… CHARLES TOWNN… CHESAPEAKE BEACH… COLUMBIA… CULPEPER… EDGEWOOD… FAIRFAX… FALLS CHURCH… FALLSTON… FREDERICK… FRONT ROYAL… GAITHERSBURG… HAGERSTOWN… HAVRE DE GRACE… JOPPATOWNE… LAUREL… LEESBURG… LURAY… MADISON… MANASSAS… MANASSAS PARK… MARTINSBURG… MCLEAN… RESTON… ST MARYS… STANARDSVILLE… STERLING… TOWSON… WALDORF… WARRENTON… WASHINGTON… WASHINGTON… WESTMINSTER… WINCHESTER… WINCHESTER AND WOODBRIDGE.

Wind Advisory:

… WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EST THIS MORNING…

A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EST THIS MORNING.

* TIMING… GUSTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID MORNING. GUSTS WILL SUBSIDE BEFORE NOON.

* WINDS… SOUTHEASTERLY WIND GUSTS OF 45-50 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT… ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

Special Weather Statement:

… HEAVY RAIN TO AFFECT THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… ARLINGTON… MONTGOMERY… PRINCE GEORGES… CALVERT… STAFFORD… LOUDOUN… PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK… CHARLES AND FAIRFAX COUNTIES…

AN AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL MOVE OVER THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 1 INCH PER HOUR WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY AND WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION.

Flash Flood Watch:

… FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON…

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

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

* UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON

* A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION THIS MORNING. RAIN AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE EXPECTED. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN MAY CAUSE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

NWS: No Sign of Tornado in South Arlington — Despite photos of car windows blown out and mass tree devastation, a team from the National Weather Service found no evidence that a tornado caused the worst of the damage in South Arlington. More from Fox 5.

Arlington FBI Impersonator Sentenced — Arlington resident Brenna Marie Reilly, 29, who told people she was the director of the FBI’s Forensic Division and later convinced a neighbor to quit his job and serve as her assistant, was sentenced on Friday. She will serve 30 days in prison, four months of house arrest and three years of probation. More from the Washington Examiner.

Cat Fight Breaks Out Over Roaming Pets — In June, the Sun Gazette ran a opinion piece from someone who wasn’t too happy with his neighbor’s cat roaming in his yard. “Do I need my neighbors’ cat in my backyard when my wife and daughter are allergic?” he asked. Now, courtesy of the Huffington Post, we get a counterpoint. Blogger Tamar Abrams is apparently the owner of the offending feline. She shoots back: “For the record, his dog has peed on my yard. His dog has barked many times. But I can’t imagine complaining about that.”

Flickr pool photo by Amberture