A summer thunderstorm in D.C. creates dangerous driving conditions.

Shashi Bellamkonda / Flickr

Powerful thunderstorms hit the D.C. region early Wednesday morning, dropping as much as 2 to 4 inches of rain, causing flooding, power outages, and one reported death. More rain drenched the area in the afternoon, as the remnants of Ida lingered in the region, and at least one tornado was reported in Maryland. Several school districts announced closures due to the storms.

The National Weather Service reported that a tornado was confirmed by radar in the Annapolis area around 2:15 p.m. The Annapolis Fire Department reported that West St., a thoroughfare into town, was closed due to storm damage. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department reported “substantial storm damage,” but no injuries. A tornado watch is in effect for the entire region until 7 p.m.

Some of the worst flooding overnight occurred in Rockville, Md., where a 19-year-old man died and 150 people were displaced from apartment buildings, according to a Montgomery County Police spokesperson. One person was still unaccounted for as of Wednesday afternoon.

The flooding occurred at an apartment complex on Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville, where Montgomery County Fire & Rescue conducted water rescues of residents who were trapped in basement-level apartments. Ten people were rescued through windows.

A nearby stream gauge in Rockville operated by the United States Geological Survey showed a quick spike the water level, going from less than 5 ft., to above flood stage, at 11 ft.

Water levels in streams spiked quickly during the overnight storm. United States Geological Survey

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon that he had never seen flooding like this in the county.

“It’s really a scene that you would have expected to see in hurricane country,” Elrich said. “But not here, no.”

Dr. Earl Stoddard, the county’s acting chief administrative officer, told reporters that the county is looking at the cause of the flooding incident. According to Stoddard, apartment owners said flooding of this magnitude has never been recorded on the property. The NWS reported about 3.3 inches of rain in a 60-minute period in Rockville early Wednesday morning, with 2.4 inches falling in just 30 minutes, according to Stoddard.

“We want to make sure we identify any causative or influencing factors like whether there were any storm water management issues, or whether the creek bed was properly maintained in the areas around that property,” Stoddard said.

Across the region, hundreds of residents were left without power after the early morning storms, with more outages following afternoon storms. As of Wednesday afternoon, Pepco reported 644 customers without electricity in Maryland and D.C., while in Northern Virginia, Dominion reported 343 customers without power. The storm also impacted transportation: flooding in the Cleveland Park Metro Station caused delays on the Red Line in the morning hours, and some roads were closed in Fairfax County and Montgomery County, including Beach Drive and Sligo Creek Parkway.

Montgomery County Public Schools announced it would dismiss all schools early Wednesday due to the severe weather, while Fairfax Public Schools decided to cancel all afternoon activities. D.C. Public Schools announced in a text message to parents and guardians that after-school programming would be canceled for the day, though staff would remain with students until all were picked up.

NWS Meteorologist Kyle Pallozzi says rainfall amounts have been highly variable around the region. Some areas in Montgomery County and Fairfax County got between 3 and 4 inches Wednesday morning, while other areas got much less, he says.

“The threat for flash flooding will probably be somewhat localized to areas that receive individual heavier thunderstorms,” says Pallozzi. “Really, there’s a threat everywhere across the D.C. metro area, but not every spot will see that.”

A flash flood watch is in effect through early Thursday morning.

In D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser activated the emergency operations center to coordinate response to the storms, as did Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, while Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency.

Officials asked residents to get ready for more rain and flooding. “I urge Marylanders to be prepared, take all necessary precautions, follow the local forecast, and heed any warnings from local authorities,” Hogan said in a press release.

Precautions include:

  • Keep devices charged in case the power goes out.
  • Closely monitor weather forecasts and warnings.
  • Don’t drive through flooded roadways.
  • Let friends or family know when and where you are traveling, and your expected arrival time.
  • Heed warnings and stay indoors during severe weather.

This story was updated to include new info from Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and from NWS.

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