Flood Watch Issued for Fairfax

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flood Watch today (Dec. 20) starting from 7 p.m. Thursday to Friday afternoon for Fairfax and much of the D.C. region.

NWS anticipates widespread rain tonight and showers tomorrow.

NWS expects 1 to 2 inches of rain, but up to 4 inches of rain could fall in local areas.

NWS encourages locals to monitor later forecasts and to stay alert for possible Flood Warnings. Residents should prepare to take action if they live in areas prone to flooding.

More from the National Weather Service:

FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM EST THIS EVENING
THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON…

The Flood Watch continues for

* Portions of Maryland, The District of Columbia, Virginia, and
West Virginia, including the following areas, in Maryland,
Anne Arundel, Calvert, Carroll, Central and Southeast Howard,
Central and Southeast Montgomery, Charles, Frederick MD,
Northern Baltimore, Northwest Harford, Northwest Howard,
Northwest Montgomery, Prince Georges, Southeast Harford,
Southern Baltimore, St. Marys, and Washington. The District of
Columbia. In Virginia, Albemarle, Arlington/Falls
Church/Alexandria, Augusta, Central Virginia Blue Ridge,
Clarke, Culpeper, Eastern Loudoun, Fairfax, Frederick VA,
Greene, King George, Madison, Nelson, Northern Fauquier,
Northern Virginia Blue Ridge, Orange, Page, Prince
William/Manassas/Manassas Park, Rappahannock, Rockingham,
Shenandoah, Southern Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren,
and Western Loudoun. In West Virginia, Berkeley, Hampshire,
Hardy, Jefferson, and Morgan.

* From 7 PM EST this evening through Friday afternoon

* Widespread rain is expected tonight and showers are expected
Friday. Rainfall amounts around 1 to 2 inches are most likely,
but locally higher amounts around 3 to 4 inches are possible.
Soils remain saturated due to recent rainfall, so excess
runoff from the rain will cause the potential for flooding of
small streams, creeks, and urban areas.

MT @ffxfirerescue: Be aware and prepared! PLEASE remember to NOT drive through a flooded roadway. That includes NOT driving around barriers closing the road! Several folks last week learned the hard way that this is a poor decision. #TurnAroundDontDrown https://t.co/ZhGHwoYiNB

— Fairfax County Government (@fairfaxcounty) December 20, 2018

Photo via Bahmad Farzad/Flickr