Emergency crews doled out sand bags, clean-up crews cleared open drains and Gov. Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency in preparation for nearly a foot of rain that Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to dump today.
Ernesto is expected to lumber through Virginia today, dumping up to 10 inches of rain and triggering flash floods in downtown D.C. and heavy flooding in low-lying areas like Georgetown, Washington Harbor and Old Town Alexandria — similar to late June, when record rains caused millions in damage, National Weather Service officials said.
NWS officials issued a flood watch, and Kaine put the Virginia National Guard on call.
Emergency officials across the region prepared for traffic delays, power outages, damaging 26 mph winds, flash flooding and possible tornadoes.
“It’s going to be a chaotic day,” said D.C.’s Emergency Management Agency Director Barbara Childs-Pair.
In Alexandria, where officials predicted the Potomac River could rise 2 feet higher than normal, workers passed out sandbags to flood-prone businesses and residents.
In Fairfax County, in the Huntington community that suffered a 100-year flood in June, homeowners were readying for another deluge and keeping their fingers crossed.
Huntington resident Geoff Livingston said he didn’t think the conditions there would cause massive flooding this time.
“Knock on wood,” Livingston said.
In D.C., generators were being brought in to help pump water out of low-lying areas near the National Mall in case the power goes out, said Michelle Pourciau, of the D.C. Department of Transportation.
In Maryland, Montgomery County officials monitored the Lake Needwood dam that leaked during the heavy rains in June and prompted the county to evacuate several thousand residents who lived downstream. Dam officials lowered the lake by 2 feet Thursday to get ready for the rain.
Emergency officials urged residents to take common-sense precautions: Make sure you have food, water and medications to last at least three days. Monitor local TV and radio stations for weather updates and other critical information and be alert for flash flooding and tornadoes, officials said.
They warned motorists against driving through swift-moving water.
“That’s pretty foolish,” said Gordon Aoyagi of Montgomery County Homeland Security. “People die trying to drive through floods.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
