(Update at 2:40 p.m.) Rock Creek has flooded over Beach Drive in parts of Kensington and Chevy Chase and MCFRS units responded to two cars stranded in high water near Beach Drive and Connecticut Avenue on Tuesday.
Park Police also shut down Beach Drive in both directions and Cedar Lane on either side of its bridge over Rock Creek.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue units began responding to a number of vehicles trapped in high standing water around 11:45 a.m. as the area got pounded with rain. Rock Creek and Sligo Creek were particularly hard hit.
MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer reported a water rescue in the 8600 block of Bradley Boulevard, a stretch of road that frequently gets flooded. Other vehicles have been trapped in high water in sections of Silver Spring.
Some reports have almost two inches of rain recorded in certain areas of Bethesda.
At 11:45 a.m., the National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for much of downcounty Montgomery, with another inch of rain possible.
The Warning is in effect until 4:45 p.m.:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS EXTENDED THE
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA…SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND…SOUTH CENTRAL HOWARD COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND…NORTH CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND…
* UNTIL 445 PM EDT
* AT 234 PM EDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 1 INCH CAN BE EXPECTED. STREAMS ARE STILL HIGH AND REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING ARE STILL ONGOING IN THE AREA.
* SOME LOCATIONS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE HEAVY RAIN INCLUDE ASPEN HILL…BELTSVILLE…CHEVY CHASE…COLESVILLE…FAIRLAND…HILLANDALE…OLNEY…ROCKVILLE AND WHITE OAK.
MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. FLOODWATER USUALLY IS DEEPER THAN IT APPEARS. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. MAKE THE SMART CHOICE WHEN FLOODED ROADS ARE ENCOUNTERED…TURN AROUND…DONT DROWN.
Photo via Pete Piringer
