The season’s first winter storm is making its way toward the D.C. region, though the chances for serious snow in Fairfax County are iffy.
Instead, the county is expected to get a slushy mix of rain, snow and sleet, starting tomorrow (Saturday) morning. The precipitation could add up to an inch of snow and sleet accumulations, along with “a light glaze” of ice, according to a Winter Weather Advisory issued today by the National Weather Service.
The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) has proposed a new grant program to help curb flooding in the county.
The flood mitigation assistance program (FMAP) would reimburse residents and property owners for purchasing and installing approved products and services that reduce the risk of flood damage to their property.
Updated at 4:05 p.m. — A Coastal Flood Advisory issued for parts of Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County, will now take effect at midnight, earlier than initially anticipated, the National Weather Service says.
Earlier: It’s going to be a cold and rainy weekend in Fairfax County, thanks to Tropical Storm Ophelia.
Rain, rain, it’s not going away just yet.
Another storm has emerged in the D.C. area, once again bringing the potential for flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
Nearly 9,000 people in Fairfax County are without power after this afternoon’s storms, the most intense of which have moved on into Maryland.
As of 5:30 p.m., 8,971 Dominion Energy customers in the county had lost power, according to the real-time tracking database PowerOutage.US.
Updated at 4:45 p.m. — The Tornado Warning was terminated early at 4:33 p.m., but Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood warnings remain in effect until around 5 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., respectively.
Updated at 4:25 p.m. — A Tornado Warning has also been issued until 4:45 p.m.
Utility crews are still working to restore electricity to over 2,000 customers after last night’s storms.
As of 9 a.m., there were 2,545 people in the county without power, according to PowerOutage.US, which collects data from utilities across the country. That includes 1,672 Dominion Energy customers and 873 customers of the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC).
(Updated at 8:05 p.m.) Thousands of people in Fairfax County have been hit by power outages in the wake of a thunderstorm that’s continuing to march eastward toward D.C.
As of 7:15 p.m., there were 16,029 customers in Fairfax County and another 1,770 customers in Fairfax City without power, according to Dominion Energy’s outage map, which shows 90 separate outages.
Updated at 5:35 p.m. — The storm has been deemed “destructive” for Clifton, Burke and Annandale, with the National Weather Service warning of “considerable damage to trees and power lines” and that “your life is at significant risk if outdoors.”
Earlier: A storm bringing intense winds and potentially even hail or a tornado is bearing down on the D.C. area.
Some more stormy weather could wash over the D.C. area later today.
A Tornado Watch has been issued for the region, including Fairfax County, by the National Weather Service, which has also designated most of the area as at “Moderate Risk” of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.
