Hanna hits area with floods and power outages

WASHINGTON - Tropical Storm Hanna left the Washington region slippery and wet on Saturday, causing evacuations, massive power outages, and traffic delays.

The storm was not as ferocious as originally feared, but its high winds and heavy rains left its mark on the area.

Forecasters say Hanna brought almost eight inches of rain to the region.

Taking a Toll

About 30 homes in the Huntington neighborhood of Fairfax County were evacuated Saturday. Officials opened the Mount Vernon Recreational Center for families to wait out the storm.

Late Saturday evening, power companies reported tens of thousands of outages. Dominion reported over 18,000 customers were without power in Northern Virginia. BGE reported almost 7,000 outages. PEPCO reported 13,000 outages in Montgomery County, and NOVEC reported 1,700 outages.

Travel

Saturday was not a good day to travel.

Metro officials said service on the Yellow Line was disrupted because of the rain. The Yellow Line was shut down between Reagan National Airport and Braddock stations because of track circuit problems. Metro said the problem has been fixed, but encouraged people to stay home Saturday.

Local roadways proved to be dangerous. A driver was killed and a toddler was injured in Beltsville in an accident on Interstate 95. In addition, the Maryland Transportation Authority placed a wind warning on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Several road closings have been reported across the area.

The Storm's Path

As expected, Hanna made landfall as a tropical storm along the South Carolina-North Carolina border early Saturday morning and then moved in the north-northeast direction through the D.C. area.

While the storm subsided by late Saturday night, Hurricane Ike is picking up speed. The National Hurricane Center has classified Ike as a category four, and parts of Florida are being evacuated. Forecasters say temperatures will be above average for the Washington region reaching the high 80s in the next week.

States Prep for Storm

In Maryland, Gov. Martin O'Malley issued a pre-disaster declaration that would have provided the state additional resources if the storm battered the area.

Ocean City got ready for the storm by removing things from the beach, closing the beach gates on the boardwalk and posting signs warning people not to park in flood-prone areas.

In Virginia, Gov. Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency, but thought evacuations were unlikely.

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