Area emergency officials say it’s too soon to determine the costs of the record-breaking rains because they still are responding to calls and the rains are still coming down.
“It’s going to be a while. The sun doesn’t seem ready to come out,” said Ed McDonough, of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.
More than 7 inches of rain fell on the nation’s capital in a 24-hour period, shutting down several federal buildings and closing some of the city’s busiest tourist attractions just days before the Fourth of July weekend.
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center was tracking a stormy area off North Carolina that it said could develop into a tropical depression at any time.
Arlington County and the City of Alexandria declared local states of emergency, freeing up money and resources to respond to the floods. If the cost is greater than what the local governments can afford, they may request a state declaration from the governor.
In the District, the damage at first doesn’t appear to be as great as was damage from floods in August 2001 where the Bloomingdale area off of North Capitol Street got 8 inches of rainfall in a couple of hours, requiring a presidential national disaster declaration, said Barbara Childs-Pair, director of the D.C. Emergency Management Agency.
None of the area governments yet have asked for a state disaster declaration, say Maryland and Virginia emergency management officials.
Representatives from the regional FEMA office in Philadelphia were assisting Maryland emergency officials in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and on the Eastern Shore to determine the amount of damage.
Carolyn Gorman, of the Insurance Information Institute, said Allstate insurance has received 1,300 claims in D.C., Maryland and Delaware and 750 in Virginia so far, well below the totals for Hurricane Isabel.
Many homeowners are trying to determine whether insurance covers the damages to their properties, say Federal Emergency Management Agency officials.
Homeowner insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, according to Linda Mackey, of Independent Insurance Agents, in Alexandria. Flood insurance covers up to $250,000 in damages, but additional coverage can be bought, she said.
If a tree lands on a house, the homeowner’s insurance covers the damages and costs of the removal of the tree, Mackey said. But if the tree lands in the yard without damaging the home, it’s not covered by homeowners insurance.
Examiner staff writer Erica Jacobson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Storm statistics
» The Potomac River could reach 12 to 13 feet Thursday.
» Reagan National Airport recorded 9.65 inches of rain in 48 hours and 7.09 inches Monday, second only to 7.19 inches when Hurricane Agnes passed through in June 1972, the weather service said.
» Homeowners can buy flood insurance even though it may not be required. Consumers can visit www.FloodSmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419 to learn more about flood insurance.
