Meteorologists and residents have reported rising tides and heavy winds — up to 40 mph in some places.

If you see emergency response vehicles zipping around town laden with folks shouting into walkie-talkies about evacuations and floods, don’t be alarmed. Today Washington area officials are running their first ever joint hurricane response exercise. Federal workers, along with their counterparts from D.C., Maryland and Virginia are gauging the region’s ability to deal with a watery disaster. While most associate hurricane-strength storms with the Gulf Coast and tropical climes, many vividly remember the destruction wrought…

Part of DCist’s very nearly award-winning Deluge ’06 coverage If you get on Rock Creek Parkway at Calvert and Connecticut in Northwest to drive through gorgeous Rock Creek Park on your daily commute, then you, too, have been experiencing a series of headaches and u-turns the past few days. Though local radio has been reporting that parts of the RCP have been reopened, a significant portion of it is still closed. We found a press…

If businesses seem a little slower than usual today, there’s a good explanation — today is the day that millions of immigrants across the United States will boycott work, part of a protest the demonstrate their economic weight and push for sensible immigration reform. The boycott has sparked divisions within the immigrant rights movement, though, with some groups and advocates in the area arguing that the action could turn public opinion against them. Locally,…

Feeling a little squeezed in on Metro these days? It’s not just your imagination — there really are more people riding the rails these days, according to the Examiner. High gas prices have pushed more and more people onto Metro, further crowding a transit agency already experiencing record high ridership. While eight-car trains have been tested on various lines in recent weeks and used during busy weekends, the crowd-thinning longer trains won’t be in full…

It looks like the worst of the summer’s heat is behind us, allowing for a buffer of sunny skies and comfortable weather before the onset of fall and winter. Translation: great biking weather to come. A variety of organized cycling events are slated for the area in months to come, catering to everyone from serious roadies to the weekend wheelers. If you’re looking to tackle some serious climbs (exactly that which biking in the District…

About 700 dead or diseased District trees will be targeted for removal by the city. A certified arborist, under instructions to avoid removal if at all possible, has examined each of these trees. This first phase of DDOT’s tree removal program will begin to tackle the backlog of 2,400 trees. As seen during ice storms or Hurricane Isabel last year, weakened trees are more likely to fall or splinter into power lines, homes or cars…

There’s been a bit of dire news regarding global warming floating about recently. We realize that there are competing views on whether global warming is an actual threat, but with icebergs the size of Texas and Arizona breaking away from the Arctic icepack (jeopardizing the journey to the North Pole via the Polar Express) and National Geographic saying that by the end of the century global coastlines could be significantly inundated (book your travel to…

Warning to Dog Walkers: Coyotes have been spotted in the northern part of Rock Creek Park near Oregon Avenue. The Post notes that a few dogs have been thought to have been attacked by coyotes. The Post interviewed Kathi Kolbe, whose two King Charles spaniels were the victims of a “brutal and gruesome” attack in August when she let them run off-leash. She noted that when she heard her dogs scream in agony, that she…

As Florida stares down Hurricane Frances, DCist thought it’s appropriate to showcase one odd reminder of the last tropical system to make its way through the Washington area. At the corner of 18th and U sts NW is this sign — the old 18th and U Diner has yet to take down its advertisement for a Hurricane Isabel party from last year. It says: “Bring Her On.” No word on when or if the sign…