Rain, flood risk as what’s left of Ian arrives to DC region

As what’s left over from Ian arrives, the recent pleasant and sunny weather in the D.C. region will start to deteriorate, with clouds and rain putting damper on weekend plans. Here’s what you need to know.

Cloud cover from Ian is moving into the region, and Friday will be a cloudy day with rain developing in the afternoon, Storm Team4 meteorologist Mike Stinneford said.

Heavy rain may be seen Friday night into Saturday morning, with a break in the afternoon. However, another round of moderate to heavy rain will arrive Sunday.

It has been abnormally dry the last month, and the ground will be able to absorb the first round of heavy rain on Saturday, Stinneford said. But flooding could become an issue on Sunday.

“We’re still expecting nasty conditions Saturday, Sunday into Monday. Rain, 30 to 35 mph winds, maybe a little bit higher toward the beaches and toward the Chesapeake Bay,” NBC Washington chief meteorologist Doug Kammerer told the DMV Download podcast.

The region could see 2 to 4 inches of rain by Sunday night.

‘Chaotic weather pattern’

The National Weather Service called it a “chaotic weather pattern” across the mid-Atlantic region. The hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm earlier Thursday morning but has since gained traction over the water and restrengthened into a Category 1 hurricane around 5 p.m. Thursday.

Ian is expected to head north and make a secondary landfall on Friday near the Georgia-South Carolina border.

That will bring moderate to heavy rain for most of the D.C. area — but especially central Virginia, the National Weather Service said.

The NWS added that there is the risk of scattered flooding especially late Saturday into Sunday and west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and south of U.S. Route 50.

The rain is expected to stick around into Tuesday before the dry-out begins.

State of emergency in Virginia; canceled events in the 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.

“We’re planning for rainfall projections anywhere from about 2 to more than 6 inches,” said Lauren Opett, spokeswoman with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

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.

In Maryland, the Department of Emergency Management said it is continuing to monitor the storm closely. Ian is expected to deliver light to moderate rainfall and some minor, isolated instances of coastal/tidal flooding this weekend, MDEM said in a tweet.

Along with the possibility of flooding, the department said periods of gale-force winds are possible at times through Monday, mainly for ocean beaches and south of Drum Point and Cobb Point, Maryland.

Meanwhile, officials in Calvert County in Southern Maryland are handing out sand and sandbags to county residents who need them to prepare for possible flooding. The sandbags are being handed out at three locations. You can find more information on locations and hours on the Calvert County Government website.

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.

• Friday: Cloudy and breezy. Rain developing in the afternoon. Highs mid to upper 60s.
• Saturday: Rainy and breezy. Rain may be heavy at times, mainly before noon. Highs low to mid 60s.
• Sunday: Rainy and breezy. Rain may be heavy at times. Highs in the low to mid 60s.
• Monday: Showers. Breezy. Highs mid to upper 60s.
• Tuesday: A chance of showers. Breezy. Highs in the mid 60s.

WTOP’s Jack Moore contributed to this report.