The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Montgomery County and much of the D.C. area for this afternoon, when a line of thunderstorms and intense rain is expected to roll through town.
The NWS expects about one inch of rain in a very short period of time:
… FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS EXPANDED THE
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF MARYLAND… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… VIRGINIA AND NORTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA… INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS… IN MARYLAND… ANNE ARUNDEL… CARROLL… FREDERICK MD… HARFORD… HOWARD… MONTGOMERY… NORTHERN BALTIMORE… PRINCE GEORGES… SOUTHERN BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA… AUGUSTA… CLARKE… FAIRFAX… FREDERICK VA… LOUDOUN… PAGE… ROCKINGHAM… SHENANDOAH AND WARREN. IN NORTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA… BERKELEY… JEFFERSON AND MORGAN.
* FROM 3 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
* A LINE OF HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH ACROSS THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY… UPPER POTOMAC RIVER BASIN… AND THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TOTAL RAINFALL OF ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES IS EXPECTED… BUT MOST OF THIS WILL FALL IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME… WHICH COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
