Though the thunderstorm that the National Weather Service warned about yesterday (Wednesday) was largely felt in the form of some strong winds, a new round of storms coming this afternoon (Thursday) could potentially have a more meaningful impact.
The NWS has issued a Flood Watch for the D.C. region, including Fairfax County, that’s currently scheduled to take effect at 3 p.m. and stay in place until midnight. About 1 to 2 inches of rainfall are possible, the agency says, though isolated areas could see as much as 3 to 4 inches.
“Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible,” the NWS said, citing particular concerns about slow-moving storms in the I-95 corridor.
As of noon, the NWS forecast for Fairfax County puts the chance of heavy rain before 7 p.m. at 70%, followed by a 50% chance of “scattered” thunderstorms throughout the evening.
…FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING…
* WHAT…Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
* WHERE…Including the following , District of Columbia, Maryland, including the following areas, Anne Arundel, Central and Southeast Howard, Central and Southeast Montgomery, Charles, Prince Georges and Southern Baltimore, and Virginia, including the following areas, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria, Central and Southeast Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park, Fairfax, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford.
* WHEN…From 3 PM EDT this afternoon through this evening.
* IMPACTS…Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– Numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop later this afternoon and continue through late this evening ahead of an advancing backdoor front moving in from the northeast, as well as along terrain features to the west. As these boundaries collide, slow-moving/training thunderstorms are possible. Particularly concerned about this occurring over the I-95 corridor. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 are possible, with isolated amounts up to 4 inches possible. This could occur over a short period of time, potentially resulting in flash flooding.
– Please visit www.weather.gov/safety/flood for flood safety and preparedness informationPRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
The Flood Watch will be paired with an ongoing Heat Advisory that’s slated to continue until 7 p.m.
With temperatures climbing into the 90s, combining with humidity for a heat index in the triple digits, for a fifth consecutive day, Fairfax County has once again established cooling centers at many public facilities.
Though regular classes are out for the summer, Fairfax County Public Schools has canceled all outdoor activities scheduled on its fields and courts today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. See below for the full alert from FCPS:
All outdoor activities canceled on FCPS fields and courts until 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 26
Due to the heat advisory in effect for Fairfax County, all outdoor activities scheduled on Fairfax County public schools’ fields and courts from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, are canceled, including:
- Co-curricular or extracurricular activities.
- Team practices. (High school athletic practices and workouts of any kind are prohibited this week due to the VHSL no-contact period.)
- Recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS.
Employees whose job function requires outdoor work (e.g., landscaping, groundskeeping, warehousing, general facilities, etc.) are to complete the remainder of their workday indoors. Alternate work activities that can be completed include required training, indoor maintenance, etc.
Extreme heat resources, including the locations of cooling centers and safety tips, can be found on the Fairfax County website.
In addition, the FCPS Summer Food Service Program continues at locations across the county, providing meals to all children without charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Locations are listed on the FCPS website.
