Debby’s deluge: Post Tropical Cyclone continues downpour on DC area
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Flash flood warning in effect till 9:45 a.m. in Northwest D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland, plus Arlington County, Fairfax County, Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.
Post Tropical Cyclone Debby continues to drench the D.C. area Friday, as ongoing heavy rain, a tornado watch, and flash flood warnings blanket the region as the center of the storm moves overhead.
Here’s what you need to know.
Over 17 million people across the entire D.C. region are under a tornado watch until 2 p.m. Friday.
Flash flood warnings are also in effect as up to 5 inches of rain are expected within the next hour.
Between 2 and 5 inches of rain have already fallen across the listening area since Debby moved into the mid-Atlantic Wednesday night. Heavy rain and strong winds throughout the day could lead to more downed trees and power outages.
Storms will calm down Friday afternoon, but showers will stick around through the late afternoon and late into the evening. Winds should also die down overnight, with some breezy condition Saturday morning.
Thankfully, a cold front will also pass through the region, leaving residents with less humidity and highs in the mid to upper 80s this weekend.
Weathering the storm
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency for the Commonwealth on Tuesday as the impending weather “could cause transportation difficulties and power outages.” The declaration allows the state to prepare resources to help with dangerous storm conditions and recovery.
Youngkin told WTOP, “Northern Virginia will see a lot of rain. And so I’m just asking everybody, please stay informed, stay alert and have a plan.”
“Let’s stand up together. Let’s lock arms and make sure that we all weather the storm healthy and safely,” he added. “Your car is not a submarine, and let’s use some common sense here.”
Maryland issued a state of preparedness declaration that coordinates preparations for the storm without declaring a state of emergency. The District also activated its Emergency Operations Center in anticipation of Tropical Depression Debby’s impacts.
Earl Stoddard, former director of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in Montgomery County, told reporters in Wednesday’s briefing: “With a storm system like this, what we’re concerned about is the near-random locations of high intensity rainfalls that overwhelm the local stormwater management systems in that area,” and lead to either street or backyard flooding.
There are areas of the county that flood regularly when heavy storms hit.
“The aptly named Beach Drive is a common place where we see flooding,” he said.
There are also flood monitors that dot the county with sensors that serve as warnings before actual flooding takes place, said Stoddard. “We have teams around the county making sure those monitors are actively working right now,” he said.
“We will have the Emergency Operations Center actively monitoring during the peak of the storm, certainly Friday into Saturday,” said Stoddard.
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FORECAST
FRIDAY
Intermittent heavy rain. Windy at times. Flooding ongoing, possibly tornadoes east of Blue Ridge Mountains.
Temps: Around 80
Winds: SE 15 to 25 mph, gusts 35+ mph
FRIDAY NIGHT
Rain pushing out west to east. Breezy. Gradual clearing west to east. Ongoing flooding and road debris.
Temps: 70s
Winds: W 5 to 15+ mph
SATURDAY
Mostly sunny, with more clouds and a shower possible south of D.C. Low humidity.
Temps: Mid to Upper 80s
Winds: NW 5 to 10 mph
SUNDAY
Mostly sunny to partly sunny.
Temps: Low to mid 80s
MONDAY
Partly cloudy and refreshing.
Temps: Low 80s
TUESDAY
Mostly to partly cloudy, 20% chance of a shower.
Temps: Near 80