Ida Remnants Threaten Heavy Rain, Possible Tornadoes In VA, DC

VIRGINIA/DC — When you combine the remains of Hurricane Ida with a region already soggy from a rainy summer, the result is flooded roads, water rescues and early school closures.

Northern Virginia and D.C. residents were told to prepare for dangerous driving conditions Wednesday, along with power outages from gusty winds and a possible tornado as the tail end of Ida blows through.

Following strong overnight storms, more thunderstorms were predicted for Wednesday afternoon and evening, bringing rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches and as much as 6 inches in some areas across Northern Virginia and D.C.

As of 4 p.m., severe storms had not hit Northern Virginia or D.C. and the rainfall totals had yet to reach the forecast levels.

Just before noon Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the entire D.C. area until 7 p.m.

The NWS issued a flood watch Wednesday morning for all of Northern Virginia and D.C., as Tropical Depression Ida continues to move through the area. The flash flood watch extends through Thursday morning. The NWS also is warning about a tornado threat later Wednesday.

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading from iTunes, or by visiting the Google Play store.

SEE ALSO:

Flooding, Outages Affect Fairfax County; More Rain Coming

Fairfax Schools Cancel After-School Activities Amid Ida Impacts

On Tuesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency due to Tropical Depression Ida. With a state of emergency in effect, Virginia will be able to deploy resources, including personnel and equipment, to help in the response to the storm and assist in the recovery efforts. In addition, local officials will be able to coordinate their own emergency response to the storm.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced she will be activating the city's Emergency Operations Center at noon Wednesday to ensure city services are coordinated with the federal government and nearby jurisdictions in response to Tropical Depression Ida.

As of 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday, 104 customers were without power in Arlington after the intense overnight thunderstorms, according to Dominion Energy.

The thunderstorm brought power outages to other Northern Virginia areas overnight. Scattered outages still remain in areas of Northern Virginia, according to Dominion Energy's outage map.

SEE ALSO: Flash Flood Watch In Arlington Issued By NWS Due To Ida

In D.C., Metro reported Wednesday morning that trains were bypassing the Cleveland Park station due to flooding and shuttle buses have been requested.

On Wednesday morning, there was at least one water rescue incident in Fairfax County. The county posted a photo of a car stuck in floodwaters in the area of Browns Mill Road and Pennycress Lane in Vienna.

Due to the storm, Fairfax County Public Schools has canceled all activities scheduled in county schools or on school grounds for Wednesday afternoon or evening.

In Prince William County, all activities scheduled in or on county school grounds Wednesday afternoon and evening have been canceled, with the exception of the county School Board Meeting, which will be held in a hybrid format.

• Spread the local love: Have a friend who loves staying on top of what's happening in Falls Church? Invite via email

Public schools in Fauquier County are closing early, with high schools and middle schools letting students go at 12:30 p.m. and elementary schools at 1:30 p.m. All after-school activities are canceled.

In Stafford County, all public school buildings are closed Wednesday, with staff teleworking and students doing asynchronous learning.

Due to Tropical Depression Ida, Spotsylvania County Public Schools has canceled all after school activities for Wednesday.

Storm Preparations

Residents were told to make sure their phones and other electronic devices are charged by Wednesday morning. Customers also should download the Dominion Energy app, which will allow them to report an outage and check on the status of an outage directly.

Outages also can be reported to Dominion Energy by phone at 866-366-4357 or by visiting www.dominionenergy.com/outages. Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative customers can report outages to 703-335-0500, 1-888-335-0500 or www.novec.com.

D.C. residents also are can download the Pepco app to report outages and learn about the status of an outage.

Residents make preparations in case the remnants of Ida cause power outages in Virginia. Emergency kits should include flashlights, batteries, cleaning supplies, masks, food and water, while first aid kits should include bandages, antibacterial wipes and medicine.

Visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's website to learn more about emergency kits.

After the storm passes, Thursday through Sunday are expected to be filled with sunshine with lower humidity and temperatures below average, in the upper 70s and low 80s

RELATED: Flood Warning Issued For Loudoun, Prince William Due To Ida