14 Million People Under Flood Warning As Storm Batters Mid-Atlantic
More than 14 million people are under a coastal flood warning early Saturday after heavy rains and strong winds unleashed flooding across the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area on Friday.
“The neighbors who have been here a long time say it hasn’t been this high since Isabel, and in their lifetime, that’s the only time it’s been this high,” Baltimore County resident Tyler Fields told WJZ Baltimore. Fields was referring to Hurricane Isabel, which battered the area in 2003.
“While a bulk of the heavy rainfall has concluded, additional rain will track from south to north tonight,” the National Weather Service (NWS) in the Washington-Baltimore region tweeted late Friday. “Additionally, tidal/coastal flooding continues with moderate to major flooding in the forecast! Water levels remain elevated through at least Sat.”
Along with the rain, strong winds were a significant factor in the flooding, pushing water up the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay, which caused flooding along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. There were also reports of coastal flooding in Delaware and New Jersey.
Here are some of the key points of the weather event via WaPo:
- Coastal flooding has resulted in 2 to 4 feet of inundation along the shores of the tidal Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. In some areas, the highest water levels and most severe coastal flooding are anticipated late Friday night into the predawn hours Saturday at the next high tide. Water levels should gradually fall over the weekend.
- On Friday afternoon, Old Town Alexandria recorded its third highest tide on record, and highest since 2003.
- One to two inches of rain fell across the region, with some flooding of small streams. A little more rain is possible this evening before tapering to scattered showers overnight.
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