Flood risk, rain as vestige of Ian reaches DC area

Steady rain and gusty winds are expected throughout the day Saturday and there’s a potential for flooding as Ian’s leftovers move through the D.C. area. Here’s what you need to know about the weekend’s forecast

• Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has activated an emergency management team, with the state preparing for possible impact.
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency, which allows the state to mobilize resources and equipment.
• Rain continuing through the weekend and into Monday.
• Showers bring potential flooding and high winds.

Ian’s center is expected to move into West Virginia and stall.

“This means a prolonged period of rain will continue through Monday,” Storm Team4 meteorologist Chad Merrill said. Most of the heavy rain happened Friday into Saturday, but it repeats again on Sunday, when isolated flash flooding could occur, Merrill said.

“The persistent easterly wind through the weekend will put those vulnerable spots along the Chesapeake Bay’s western coastline and the Lower Potomac at risk for flooding,” Merrill said.

Overall, about 2 to 3 inches of rain are expected through Monday.

“While regionwide flood watches have not yet been issued, in this particular scenario, there is a good chance for minor river, creek and stream flooding late Sunday into Monday as the runoff takes time to empty into the river basins and trigger rising levels,” Merrill said. “Also note, the persistent easterly flow at the mid-Atlantic beaches will produce flooding and coastal erosion this weekend.”

In D.C., a coastal flood advisory is in effect through 3 p.m. Saturday, with some flooding possible near the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial.

Worcester County, Maryland, which is home to Ocean City, is under a Tropical Storm Warning, according to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management.

A coastal flood warning is in effect for St. Mary’s County, Maryland, until 2 a.m. on Sunday, and a gale watch is in effect for lower portions of the tidal Potomac and Chesapeake Bay.

State of emergency in Virginia; canceled events in DC area

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin already declared a state of emergency in anticipation of possible effects from the storm.

“We want to ensure that our communities have the resources needed to respond to and recover from any potential effects from the storm,” Youngkin said.

Lauren Opett, spokeswoman with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, said the state planned for rainfall projections anywhere from 2 to more than 6 inches.

The southern, central and eastern portions of the state are expected to get hit the hardest.

“It’s important to note that even when the storm exits, higher-than-normal tides could continue until Tuesday,” Opett said.

The expected severe weather has led to cancellations or postponements of events scheduled to take place through the weekend.

Forecast

The rain from the remnants of Ian may persist into Monday night or Tuesday.

• Saturday: Cloudy, chilly and windy. Rain, moderate at times. Rainfall up to 1 inch. Wind: Northeast 20-35 mph gust 35> east along the Bay. Highs in the low to mid 60s.

• Saturday night: Cloudy and windy. Rain continues. Wind: Northeast 20-40 mph. Lows in the mid 50s to near 60.

• Sunday: Steadier rain, more flooding possible, and continued breezy and cool. Wind: Northeast 20 -30 mph. Highs from the low to mid 60s.

• Monday: Rain diminishing to showers, breezy and cool. Wind: Northeast 10-25 mph 35> east along the Bay. Highs in the mid to upper 60s.

• Tuesday: An early shower; otherwise, clouds giving way to some sun. Highs in the mid 60s.

Current Weather

Outages

Representatives for Dominion Energy and Pepco said the power companies are preparing possible power outages.

“Dominion energy is preparing for strong gusty winds and the potential for power outages in central, eastern and southside Virginia later this evening and into early Saturday morning . We have more than 400 bucket trucks in position across all three regions. Our crews are prepared to work around the clock to restore any customer outages. We also have crews remaining in Northern Virginia to respond as needed.”

WTOP’s Jack Moore contributed with this report. 

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