Maryland emergency crews doled out sand–bags, cleaned debris from drains and fired up command centers Thursday in preparation for nearly a foot of rain that Tropical Storm Ernesto was expected to dump on the Washington area today.
A lumbering Ernesto was expected to dump up to 10 inches of rain today, 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 flood watch warnings and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency and put the Virginia National Guard on call. Emergency officials 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 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 two feet Thursday to get ready for the rain.
Emergency officials urged residents to take common-sense precautions: Makesure 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.
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.”
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 Alexandria, officials predicted the Potomac River could rise two feet higher than normal and were passing out sandbags to flood-prone businesses and residents.
In Fairfax County, in the Huntington community that suffered a once-in-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 another massive flooding this time.
“Knock on wood,” Livingston said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
