WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Torrential rains and flash floods on Monday hammered the Washington D.C. region, stranding thousands of drivers and commuters, causing extensive power outages, and soaking train and metro stations as well as numerous basements.
People fled to the roofs of their cars, Virginia Square metro station got a waterfall situation, the U.S. National Archives was shut down, and the White House basement was soaked.
National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Ledbetter said the storm dumped about 6.3 inches (about 17 cm) of rain near Frederick, Maryland, about 4.5 inches near Arlington, Virginia, and about 3.4 inches at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in a two-hour period. The service declared a flash flood emergency across the area.
In Washington D.C., water gushed into the press workspace in the basement near the White House's West Wing, and staff worked to drain puddles of standing water with wet vacs.
Flooding led to electrical outages that closed the National Archives Museum, according to a statement from the National Archives.
Many streets and sidewalks flooded and pedestrians had to leap over flows of water at curbs in the U.S. capital. The D.C. authorities said they responded to more than a dozen calls about motorists stranded in high-water areas across the city.
Several people were rescued from cars stuck on flooded roads near South Capitol Street.
No injuries were reported in the capital city, and no one was taken to a hospital, according to Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman for D.C. Fire.
In Potomac, Maryland, the water tore a large gap in Belfast Road, local media reported. People fled to the roofs of their cars as water quickly engulfed roadways.
Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the fire department in Montgomery County, Maryland, said emergency workers responded to dozens of rescue calls and used boats to pluck people from flooded cars.
"Everywhere I turned, there was traffic and roads closed," he said.
By early afternoon, thousands of area residents remained without power, according to a Washington Post report.
Utility officials said crews had restored power to thousands of homes, but by 1:00 p.m., 1,300 Pepco customers and 2,000 Dominion customers were without power, down from at least 10,000 in the region since the storms started early Monday, said the report.
Dominion spokesman Jeremy Slayton said that at the hardest-hit areas in northern Virginia, the utility is having problems with downed trees on power lines and flooding. At its peak, 7,000 Dominion customers were without power.
Transportation services were also halted. Amtrak service was interrupted.
By 1:00 p.m., the L'Enfant Plaza's 9th & D Street entrance in central Washington D.C. remained closed because of flooding.
Due to lower speed restrictions in place after the rains, riders heading into the evening commute would continue to see residual delays, Metro said.
"We expect that all VRE trains will experience delays this afternoon," spokesperson Karen Finucan Clarkson told local media. "It does not appear as though there will have to be any single-tracking." CSX and Amtrak have also put high-water speed restrictions in place.
Police also warned drivers to be cautious even after the water recedes as there may be debris left behind on the roads.
It often rains heavily in the Washington D.C. metro area in sultry summer but not often goes on for more than an hour like what happened on Monday.
体坛英语资讯:Chinese mens curling team win their Asiad opener
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮练习:Unit1《Living well》(新人教版选修7)
要成为高级翻译,需要掌握哪些翻译技巧
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮练习:Unit 1《A land of diversit》(新人教版选修8)
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版课件:必修三 Unit9《Wheels》s
2017届高三英语人教版一轮课件(广东专版)选修9 Unit 5《Inside advertising》
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: New Yorkers rally in Times Square against Trumps immigration policy
世界上最难做的美食是什么
How to reduce our carbon footprint
2017届高三英语人教版一轮课件(广东专版)选修9 Unit 2《Sailing the oceans》
三维设计2017届高考英语一轮复习提能力创新演练:必修一 Unit3 Celebration
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版课件:必修一 专题讲座
国际英语资讯:Netanyahu says Israel, U.S. to form team to tackle settlements
体坛英语资讯:Leaders Monaco held 1-1 by struggling Bastia in Ligue 1
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版课件:选修七 专题讲座
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版课件:必修四 Unit12《Culture Shock》
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮练习:Unit 1《Art》(新人教版选修6)
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮练习:Unit5《Theme parks》(新人教版必修4)
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮课件:Unit1《Living well》(新人教版选修7)
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版课件:第一讲 时态和语态
2017届高三英语人教版一轮练习(广东专版)选修9 Unit 5《Inside advertising》
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮课件:Unit1《Great》(新人教版必修5)
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版课件:必修一 Unit 1《Lifestyles》
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版写作专题讲座课件:第十讲 记叙文(二)叙事记叙文
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮练习:Unit3《A taste of English humour》(新人教版必修4)
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮课件:Unit1《A land of diversit》(新人教版选修8)
美文赏析:生而为人,生而为仁
2017届高考英语一轮复习北师大版课件:必修五 Unit13《People》
体坛英语资讯:Bayern crush Arsenal 5-1 in UEFA Champions League
(广东专版)2017届高三英语一轮课件:Unit5《Meeting your ancestors》(新人教版选修8)