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Extremely heavy rainfall floods Washington, D.C., nearly a month’s worth of rain in 1 hour

washington-dc-flood-july-8-2019

Extremely heavy rainfall hit Washinton, D.C. metro area, on July 8, 2019, turning roads into rivers and forcing authorities to issue Flash Flood Emergencies.

In just one hour, some areas just west of capital saw over 76.2 mm (3 inches) of rain, especially along the Potomac River. Areas of concern include the Great Falls, Virginia, area and southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland.

Reagan National Airport, an official observing site, saw 70.8 mm (2.79 inches) of rain in just one hour, beating a 1945 record of 52 mm (2.05 inches), The Washington Post reported. More rain fell in that hour in the capital than in the past 38 days combined. 

More than a dozen water rescues were performed after raging floodwaters turned numerous roads into rivers.

Much of D.C., Arlington, Montgomery, Frederick, and Carroll counties received 51 – 102 mm (2 to 4 inches) of rain, with many areas picking up those amounts in only 1 or 2 hours, AccuWeather reports. Radar estimates close to Frederick, Maryland, indicate rainfall totals over 102 mm (4 inches). 

The heavy rain also flooded the runway at Frederick Municipal Airport, covering the wheels of some aircraft. At the White House, the rain started to flood the basement. Meanwhile, the second flood entrance of the Pentagon "leaks" on Monday morning, CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reports.

Featured image credit: NOAA/GOES-East. Acquired 15:40 UTC, July 8, 2019

Amtrak Spokesman Jason Abrams told CNN that, around 10:20 LT Monday morning, 6 trains, including the Carolinian and Northeast Regional, were stopped "due to flooding/washout conditions" on tracks south of Alexandria, Virginia.

Arlington, Virginia, recorded 83.8 mm (3.3 inches) of rain over the course of an hour at Reagan National Airport early Monday, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. Its normal monthly total is 93.9 mm (3.7 inches).

Featured image credit: NOAA/GOES-East. Acquired 15:40 UTC, July 8, 2019

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