Deadly Remnants of Ida Soak DC Area
Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 | Updated 11:58 PM EST
AP
This image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Ida taken at 12:02 a.m. EST Sunday Nov. 11, 2009. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ida's winds had picked up to 75 mph (120 kph), making it a Category 1 storm. Ida plowed into Nicaragua's Atlantic coast on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane, damaging 500 homes along with bridges, power lines, roads and public buildings. The hurricane was on a path that would take it through the middle of the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico and Cuba on Sunday. Forecasters predict Ida will enter the Gulf of Mexico, eventually weaken again to tropical storm strength and possibly brush the U.S. Gulf Coast next week. (AP Photo/NOAA)
RICHMOND, Va. -- Relentless rain is swamping a long stretch of the Atlantic seaboard, triggering coastal flood warnings and watches from North Carolina to Long Island.
The downpour Thursday comes from the remnants of tropical storm Ida, which blew ashore in Alabama from the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and has meandered north and eastwards.
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency Wednesday.
Dominion Power reported more than 19,000 outages in Virginia early Thursday. In Norfolk, on the coast, several bridges and a major tunnel were closed.
Three people died Thursday in weather-related traffic crashes, Virginia State Police said.
Amy Pippin, 26, of Smithfield, tried to pass a vehicle on Route 258 in Isle of Wight County and hit a tractor-trailer head-on, killing her and seriously injuring her 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, police said.
In Nelson County, 66-year-old Alger Fleming of Amherst died when he was hit by a tractor trailer on Route 56 in Nelson County when he got out of his pickup truck after hitting a tree that had fallen across the road.
Yesenia Rivera, 30, of Waltham, Mass., was killed and three others were injured when the driver of the car they were riding in lost control and flipped the car along Route 688 in Northhampton County, police said.
In Maryland, a coastal flood warning was issued until 6 a.m. Friday, and a watch is in effect through late Friday night. Moderate flooding is expected Thursday night on the shores of Charles, St. Mary's and Calvert counties. Tidal departures up to three feet are expected. High tide Thursday night is expected to be half foot higher than it was Thursday morning. Another half foot increase is expected for Friday morning's high tide.
Wind restrictions are in effect at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, where sustained wind speeds of 40-49 mph mean house trailers, empty box trailers and other vehicles that can be affected by strong winds are prohibited. There will be no two-way traffic on the bridge during the afternoon rush.
In D.C., a coastal flood advisory was issued for Haines Point and Georgetown from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For road closures and other traffic information in the area, check the following sites:
- Maryland Traffic Information
- DC Traffic Information
- Virginia Traffic Information
- 511 Virginia
- Commuter Page
Copyright Associated Press / NBC4 Washington
Posted Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 - 3:35 PM EST
