Busy Stretch of Eastbound Route 50 in Fairfax County Reopened after Flooding

A busy stretch of Route 50 in Fairfax County has been reopened after flooding forced some drivers to detour through Fair Oaks Mall parking lots.

According to Fairfax County Police, flooding has receded in time for commuters to use the road.

But flooding has continued elsewhere in Fairfax County, closing Old Courthouse road at the intersection of Besley road. Police have not announced when the road will reopen and are advising drivers to find an alternate route. (See photo from Fairfax County Police below.)

A flood watch for most of the D.C. area went into effect at noon and will end at 10 p.m. A second downpour is expected to move through the area during the early evening.

The system will be out of the area before midnight, paving the way for a beautiful, clear Father's Day weekend.

The storms will not be as severe as the violent ones that damaged several homes in the area earlier this week. The saturated ground caused many trees in the area to fall.

The branches of a massive oak left a gaping hole in the roof of a Takoma Park home and caused the walls to buckle. The homeowner was sleeping inside the Cedar Avenue home at the time; he was not hurt.

Montgomery County first responders also reported five water rescues late Wednesday evening, and according to spokesperson Pete Piringer, at least three homes were struck by lightning.

A two-alarm fire in Rockville left behind a gaping hole on top of an apartment building.

"I ran out and I just saw the flames on the roof, things were falling down ... like ash," resident Alex Liu said.

Two firefighters were injured battling the fire when part of the building's ceiling collapsed. Both are expected to be okay, though officials still do not know how many people will be displaced due to the damage.

"I think the rain helped to put it out," another resident said.

A tornado may have touched down in the Gainesboro area, Storm Team 4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer said.

The storms follow a midday line of storms Tuesday that deluged parts of Prince George's County, leading to several high-water rescues and flooding some residents' basements.

We will get a break from high humidity over Father's Day weekend.

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