A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Alexandria and the surrounding area until 3 p.m.
The National Weather Service reported a severe thunderstorm in Oakton at 2:11 p.m., and that residents should expect 60 mile-per-hour wind gusts and quarter-sized hail.
Might want to stay inside: a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Alexandria and other nearby localities.
The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. but the National Weather Service said the storms are forecast to hit the I-95 corridor during evening rush hour and storms could persist overnight.
Alexandria is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
According to NWS:
As rainfall travels down the hills of the Parkfairfax neighborhood, the momentum sweeps it past the slim gutters meant to catch the water, propelling it further downhill to devastating effect. But fortunately, with a surge of political and financial interest being poured into flood mitigation over the last few years, stormwater isn’t the only thing gaining momentum.
Among the larger flooding infrastructure projects going around the city are a handful of smaller “spot improvements” that could play a big role when the next major storm hits.
There are around 1,629 Alexandrians without power after this morning’s storms.
Most of those outages are in the city’s central Seminary Hill and Taylor Run neighborhoods.
Alexandria still bears scars from the intense 2019 floods — notably the ongoing closure of much of Four Mile Run. Local residents are still reeling from floods since then, but some in city government have been pushing over the last few years to better prepare both city residents and infrastructure for future flooding.
There’s a suite of major stormwater infrastructure projects ongoing around Alexandria, but another major focus from the city has been working with locals to help flood-proof homes.
If you saw workers in bright vests around Del Ray last month, they were engineers contracted with the city, and their presence marked the start of design work for a major stormwater capacity project.
The project has the unwieldy name “Commonwealth Avenue and East Glebe Road and Ashby Street and East Glebe Road” after several smaller projects were smushed together.
The City of Alexandria is making it easier for locals who pitch in on flood prevention to skip out on their utility fees.
At a meeting last night, the City Council voted to adopt a series of changes to a utility fee credit program, including reducing the fee for residents who install flood mitigation on their property.
It’s a change that likely won’t go noticed by many Alexandrians, but the city is making an adjustment to its manholes that could have an impact on flooding during storms.
According to Flood Action Alexandria — an ongoing newsletter highlighting flooding issues and mitigation measures in Alexandria — the City of Alexandria is working on finding a contractor to install 870 stainless steel manhole inserts around the city.
Thousands of art lovers will have to set aside their plans this weekend, as Del Ray’s annual Art On The Avenue has been postponed due to Tropical Storm Ian.
Ian battered Florida with intensity that is now petering out and working its way up the East Coast. For Alexandria, there is 70% likelihood of rain this Saturday, and event organizers have decided not to chance a washout.
The National Weather Service has issued both a Flash Flood Warning and Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Alexandria and surrounding localities.
“The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Alexandria,” the city said in an emergency alert. “Seek indoor shelter immediately.”
