Flooding and rain continued to wreak havoc on commutes across the Washington region Friday morning, even as Thursday’s torrential downpours — which killed three people, trapped scores of terrified motorists, forced hundreds to evacuate and shut major highways — began to taper off.
Police identified the victims of the flash floods, two in Fairfax County and one in Anne Arundel County, Friday morning after family members were notified.
Days of rainfall from what was Tropical Storm Lee soaked a wide portion of the Northeast Thursday, forcing tens of thousands of people to seek higher ground. At least seven were killed. (Sept. 9)
Relentless soaking
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The victims included 12-year-old Jack Donaldson, who was swept away by the flood-swollen waters of Piney Branch Creek in Vienna, 67-year-old Arsalan Hakiri, who was killed near his stranded vehicle in Great Falls, and 49-year-old Daniel Lambert, who drowned in Pasadena, Md., authorities said.
On the roadways, drivers encountered general congestion throughout the region, with Interstate 395 North backed up for much of Friday morning.
“I can’t recall flooding like this. This is unprecedented,” Joan Morris, a spokewoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said.
A stretch of the Beltway that had been closed Thursday night was reopened Friday morning. VDOT and Virginia State Police had ordered the Beltway closed from Route 1 to the Mixing Bowl at I-395, as the waters of Cameron Run spilled onto the highway, Morris said.
Maryland officials closed the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Thursday to keep cars off the flooded portion of the Beltway in Virginia, but the bridge was reopened to traffic before midnight.
While there were no Metro problems reported, MARC service was delayed and VRE service was canceled Friday due to flooding on the tracks.
[For a full listing of road closures and other traffic and transit issues, click here.]
The unrelenting rains, sometimes falling at four inches an hour, closed schools, courthouses and government buildings in Prince George’s and Charles counties. Cars were flooded at a park-and-ride lot in Reston and at auto dealerships in Upper Marlboro. Commuter trains were halted. Basements flooded. People were stranded. Homes were evacuated in Prince William, Prince George’s and Fairfax.
Fairfax and Prince William County officials decided to close schools Friday because so many roads were flooded, and Prince William declared a local state of emergency. Virginia Railway Express will not operate trains on either line, because of flooded tracks.
Additionally, Prince William County issued a “boil water advisory” Friday for customers in the Woodbridge area bound by I-95 and Route 1, south of Occoquan Road and north of Prince William County Parkway. This area includes the neighborhoods of Marumsco Village, Millwood Estates, Maben Woods and Ashford. Residents are advised to bring water to a rolling boil for one minute and allow it to cool before drinking, or to use bottled water until further notice is given.
[For a full list of school closings and other cancellations, click here.]
Fairfax fire and rescue teams rescued more than 100 stranded motorists Thursday, including 12 on Cinderbed Road in Lorton. Six were helped from their cars on Interstate 95 at Telegraph Road, said Glenn Barbour, a county spokesman. Earlier in the day, rescue workers in Prince George’s helped scores of similarly stranded drivers.
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