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Tropical Storm Ernesto
A state of emergency is declared in Washington, D.C. and Virginia as Tropical Storm Ernesto moves toward the region, prompting residents and businesses to take precautions to avoid a repeat of June's flood damage.

"I would definitely call this house waterfront property now," O'Brien said by cell phone, as waves carried pieces of an old pier and random crab pots floating past his window. "Whatever we can carry with us out of here may be all we can save at this point. It's the pictures and albums, we're worried about most."

About 250 people were ordered to evacuate from their homes on St. George's Island after the only road to the mainland became submerged under two feet of water, according to emergency managements officials there.

"At this moment, St. Mary's County seems to be getting the brunt of the storm, with quite a bit of flooding in lower lying areas," said Teresa Chapman, a regional administrator with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, who was dispatched to Southern Maryland yesterday.

County emergency management officials opened a temporary shelter at Leonardtown High School, and a shelter for pets was up and running at the county fairgrounds, Chapman said.

A slew of rain-related accidents -- mostly of the fender-bender variety -- were reported throughout the region yesterday. The highest profile mishap involed a metrobus carrying two passengers in Temple Hill was stuck in a sink hole for at least an hour, a metro spokeswoman said. The back tires of the C14 bus got caught in the hole at about 11:30 a.m. at Auth Rd. and Mercedes Blvd. A slew of rain related accidents were reported throughout the region.

At 1:45 pm yesterday, the first road closure was announced: a mile-long stretch of Beach Drive in Rock Creek Stream Valley Park between Connecticut Avenue and Old Spring Road in Chevy Chase. The road is operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

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The rain was expected to stop sometime between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., according to the National Weather Service The center of Ernesto was 25 miles southeast of Richmond at 5 p.m. yesterday and it was moving North to Northeast at 10 miles per hour. Winds were 35 miles per miles per hour.

In Virginia, Kaine declared a state of emergency and authorized up to 200 members of the National Guard to be ordered to state active duty. D.C. Mayor Anthony William also called for a state of emergency, but did so from the refuge of a Caribbean Island, according to a spokeswoman from his office.