Flood Watch for Fairfax Wednesday Night

Fairfax County and most of the D.C. area will be under a flood watch Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS says heavy, drenching rain is moving up from the south and may cause localized flooding in low-lying areas through early Thursday.

From the National Weather Service:

… FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF MARYLAND… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA… INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS… IN MARYLAND… ANNE ARUNDEL… HARFORD… BALTIMORE… HOWARD… MONTGOMERY… AND PRINCE GEORGES. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA AND FAIRFAX.

* FROM 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT

* LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHERN ATLANTIC STATES WILL BRING PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED BY EARLY THURSDAY.

* PERSISTENT MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS… ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND LOCATIONS PRONE TO FRESHWATER FLOODING. NEVER CROSS ROADS THAT ARE FLOODED. TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.