Heavy rain and flooding made for a harrowing Friday morning commute, as a flash flood warning went into effect and several drivers needed to be rescued from high water.
Crews in Montgomery County were called to at least seven water rescues after drivers got stuck after attempting to navigate water-covered roads. A water rescue was also reported in Vienna, Virginia, where a driver's car stalled in high water on Hunter Mill Road and Lawyers Road.
Two to four inches rain fell across the region Thursday night into Friday morning.
About 2.6 inches fell at Reagan National Airport. Areas to the north and west were harder hit, with 3.5" inches in Leesburg and 4.5" further west. Much of the region saw a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours.
Rainfall tapered off by the end of the morning rush hour; some sunshine will likely make an appearance during the afternoon.
If you do see water ponding on roadways, remember to turn around. You should never try to drive through standing water because you don't know the condition of the pavement underneath, and currents may be stronger than they appear.
The heavy rain and flooding has closed or delayed several school districts. Schools in Shenandoah County, Warren County and Frederick County (Virginia) are closed Friday. Culpeper County and Rappahannock County schools are operating on a two-hour delay.
Multiple area roads are also closed due to flooding, including many in Loudoun County (see link to list above). In Fairfax County, Woodburn Road at Spicewood Drive in Annandale; Browns Mill Road at Rosewood Hill Drive in Vienna, and Fox Mill Road at Shady Mill Lane in Sully are closed.
Beach Drive in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is also closed at East-West Highway.
The weather proved dangerous for power crews working to restore power in the area. A Pepco worker suffered burn injuries at a Rockville, Maryland, apartment complex while attempting to restore electricity Friday morning.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission began releasing water from the T. Howard Duckett Dam along the Patuxent River on Tuesday as a precaution to protect the structure as the rain begins, the Associated Press reported. Downstream, Laurel, Md., officials say water was spilling over the river's banks by Thursday morning and Riverfront Park Path was closed. The American Legion commuter parking lot will be closed Friday in anticipation of flooding.
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Two weeks ago, flooding forced Laurel officials to evacuate homes along the river after the dam was opened during a rainstorm due to concerns that heavy rain was causing erosion near the base of the dam.
All three area airports broke rainfall records two weeks ago, with Dulles International Airport receiving 3.99 inches of rain, Baltimore-Washington International Airport receiving a little more than three inches, and 2.7 inches of rain pouring down at Regan National Airport.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
