What a hot week in Alexandria.
With temperatures hovering in the mid-90s, the week started with a power outage at a 17-story apartment building in Landmark area. The outage lasted five days and residents had to find accommodations until the building reopened Friday afternoon.
Alexandria will spend millions on emergency financial support programs, stormwater repair, childcare and dozens of other projects as part of its first portion of American Rescue Plan Act funding.
“Now the really hard work begins,” Mayor Justin Wilson said after Council’s unanimous passage of a plan Tuesday night. “I think this is an opportunity to make some transformational investments.”
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for Alexandria.
“Avoid small streams and do not drive through water on roadways,” the city’s emergency services said.
It’s not Pacific Northwest-bad, but the National Weather Service is warning that that Alexandria could reach a heat index of 105 or higher over the next few days.
The NWS has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the next few days, with high temperatures estimated for Wednesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Alexandria and the surrounding area that will be in effect until 10 p.m.
Isolated instances of flooding are possible, according to NWS.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Alexandria and the surrounding area until midnight.
An incoming cold front could result in two-to-four inches of rain from thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, according to NWS.
It’s been nearly ten years since Republicans had a spot on the City Council, but Republican City Council candidate Darryl Nirenberg is hoping several divisive issues that have cropped up over the last couple years can help break the blue stranglehold on the city this November.
“Prospects for a Republican are better now than they have been for years,” Nirenberg said. “The issues facing our city, such as divisive plans to house adults on school grounds; road diets; promoting more density in the midst of a pandemic; neglect of our storm drains and infrastructure; and destroying green space — are not partisan.”
Updated at 12 a.m. Thousands of Alexandria residents are currently without power, as a thunderstorm continues to affect the city, according to Dominion Energy’s outage map.
There are more than 3,400 people without power in Old Town. There are also more than 150 residents without power in North Ridge due to a downed power pole, and more than 300 without power in Del Ray. Crews have been dispatched to impacted areas.
Updated at 5:50 p.m. It appears the worst of a strong storm has passed, but it created some damage, including snapped trees across the city.
The Alexandria Fire Department, however, told ALXnow that no major calls were reported.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m. in Alexandria and the surrounding area.
Wind gusts could reach 60 miles per hour, and NWS is warning that the storm could cause trees and large branches to fall.
To go along with a recent increase in the stormwater utility fee, Alexandria’s City Council is broadening the scope of what that can be covered by that fee.
At a City Council meeting on Saturday, the Council voted unanimously in favor of expanding the uses of the fee to help combat some of the rampant flooding that’s plagued the city over the last few years.
