MoCo Rainfall Amounts, Sinkhole Washes Out Road To Potomac Homes

BETHESDA, MD — When 3 to 5 inches of rain falls in a few hours, it's going to create a mess. Montgomery County residents and crews are cleaning up basements, businesses and damaged roads after Monday morning's torrential rains. Streets turned into rivers as cars floated away and some drivers had to be rescued by boat.

More than 70 families in the Belfast Road community of Potomac had direct access to their homes restricted Monday after the heavy rains created a sinkhole that cut off the only road to the neighborhood. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has a temporary repair in place so residents and emergency crews can reach the homes. A shuttle service took residents to nearby stores and to public transportation.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Pete Piringer said that between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. on July 8, the department handled about 250 calls for service. By comparison, the department typically receives about 350 calls for service in an average 24-hour shift. On Monday, about 50 calls were made for water rescues; some people were able to free themselves, and some didn't need help, he said.

But, about 15-20 incidents included MCFRS crews who rescued more than 25 people, none suffered serious injuries, Piringer said.

Montgomery County received between 1.5 and 5.5 inches of rain Monday, according to the National Weather service. A trained spotter in North Potomac measure 5.55 inches; Damascus had 2.43 inches; a White Oak spotter reported 1.74 inches; and Poolesville received 1.5 inches of rain.

The deluge caused the two-lane Belfast Road between Laurel Leaf Drive and Whiterim Terrace, just east of MacArthur Boulevard, to collapse when a stream underneath the road flooded, the county DOT said late Monday. A path about 10 feet wide was washed away across both lanes.

MCDOT says a permanent repair will be made later.