The Washington, D.C., area faces a flash flood warning through Friday afternoon and that goes for spots into Maryland — but the good news is the storm is fast-moving and the weekend will dawn sunny.
Torrential downpours flooded streets and roads in Northern Virginia early Friday morning, making travel a nightmare for commuters headed north on Interstate 95. But the capital city and areas north didn’t fare much better.
NBC Washington said several drivers have already been rescued from flood zones that proved too tough to navigate cars through. Emergency responders in Montgomery County answered three rain-related calls for assistance Friday morning. And a driver in Vienna, Va., was pulled from high water that crossed Hunter Mill Road. Meanwhile, to the north in Rockville, two other cars were stuck on Scott Drive.
Heavy rain also closed or delayed several schools — in Shenandoah County, Warren County, Culpeper County and Rappahannock County, and Frederick County, NBC Washington reported.
Local ABC7 storm watchers said that by 6:30 a.m., 4.24 inches of rain had fallen in Leesburg, Va., and more than 4 inches in Myersville, Md., and Germantown, Md.
Meanwhile, the Beltway area was pounded during the heavily traveled rush hour, with nearly 3 inches reported at Dulles. Reagan National and BWI airports received less than an inch in the early morning, but another storm front predicted for the evening is supposed to drop a bit more, possibly delaying travel in the 6 to 8 p.m. hours, ABC 7 reported.
NBC Washington reported that rain is going to continue in spots throughout the region all day, but the worst will leave by Friday evening. Northern Virginia is predicted to get the worst — 4 inches or more in spots.
Forecasters say almost all of the storm fronts will have moved from the region by Friday night, bringing in warmer and sunnier weekend weather.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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