Maryland county fields more than 100 rescue calls in two-hour period during flash floods
Significant rainfall from storms caused flash flooding in parts of Montgomery County, Maryland, located north of Washington, D.C., on Saturday, trapping many in buildings and cars.
Across the D.C. region, areas like Silver Spring, Md. and Great Falls, Va., were hit with intense flooding following heavy rain on Saturday evening, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood emergency for Silver Spring and surrounding areas. The alert, shared on Saturday night, has never before been used in the D.C. area since flash flood emergencies started being issued by the National Weather Service in 2003, and is the most critical flood warning, according to The Washington Post. Along Sligo Creek, Montgomery County flood sensors indicated that waters rose 10 feet in just 30 minutes.
According to the National Weather Forecast, rainfall amounts varied across the region — Tacoma Park received between 2.5-3.5 inches, Silver Spring reported 3.5-4.5 inches, and the Chevy Chase area saw as much as 2.5 inches while Great Falls received up to 3.5 inches. "As far as the rain amount, you know, [it] might not sound all that substantial, but it had … happened in like an hour, hour and a half. So it's a very intense rain rate," said Cody Ledbetter of the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington.
While no injuries were initially reported, dozens of water rescues were conducted throughout the evening. At 8:30 p.m., Montgomery County Park Police responded to a report of 20 people trapped inside a Chevy Chase building, carrying out water rescues of those stranded within.
"Approximately 20 park patrons stayed inside the building with officers, for a couple of hours, until they were able to drive out a back road without incident," Tracy Lieberman of Montgomery County Park Police said.
Montgomery County resident John Angel told CBS Washington affiliate WUSA-9 about a harrowing situation in which his wife and daughter were trapped inside their SUV on Sligo Creek Parkway.
"We're on the phone, we're talking and then she was like, 'There's a lot of water.' And then she just hung up," Angel said.
His family was successfully evacuated from their vehicle with the help of neighbors, who quickly moved to help.
"When I came outside, I saw this car and it was basically just stuck in the flood," Angel said. "The next thing I heard was people yelling, trying to get her out of the car – it happened quick. They got her out — people in the neighborhood. Thank God."
Residents were shocked by how fast the waters rose. Angel, who has lived in the area for 20 years, said he had never witnessed such intense flooding before.
As of Sunday morning, Sligo Creek Parkway remained closed because of the floods. Other areas also reported road closures throughout Saturday evening.
The flash flood emergency was valid through 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Looking ahead, forecasts predict some light showers Sunday and throughout next week, but it isn't until late next week when the possibility of more notable thunderstorms increases.
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Parts of Northern Ireland saw almost full month's worth of rain in 24 hours
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Heat index values as high as 100. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. : A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 4 p.m and 5 p.m. Sunny, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 108. Light and variable wind becoming west northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. ➤ How to set up emergency cellphone notifications for flash flood warnings and safety tips ➤ Excessive rainfall forecast What else is happening in the tropics? The National Hurricane Center is tracking two tropical waves. Tropical wave 1: An eastern Atlantic tropical wave has its axis near 30W from 05N to 18N. It is moving westward at 10 to 15 kt. Scattered moderate convection is seen within 120 nm w of the wave axis from 10N to 12N and within 150 nm east of the wave axis from 12N to 14N. Tropical wave 2: A central Atlantic tropical wave has its axis near 47W from 03N to 17N, part of the area of disturbance mentioned above. Environmental conditions are generally favorable for some additional development of this system over the next day or so while it moves west- northwestward, however, by the middle of this week, environmental conditions are forecast to become unfavorable for further development. AccuWeather said there's also a potential for tropical development off the central coast of the U.S. July 22-25. 2025 hurricane season so far An average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. Here's when this year's named storms have developed, compared to historical averages: Tropical Storm Andrea: formed June 24. Average start date: June 20 Tropical Storm Barry: formed June 29. Average start date: July 17 Tropical Storm Chantal: formed July 5. Average start date: Aug. 3. Next up, Dexter: Average state date: Aug. 15, with the average first hurricane forming Aug. 11. Hurricane names for 2025 season Here are the names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, along with how to pronounce them: Andrea (June 24) Barry (June 29) Chantal (July 5) Dexter: DEHK-ster Erin: AIR-rin Fernand: fair-NAHN Gabrielle: ga-bree-ELL Humberto: oom-BAIR-toh Imelda: ee-MEHL-dah Jerry: JEHR-ee Karen: KAIR-ren Lorenzo: loh-REN-zoh Melissa: meh-LIH-suh Nestor: NES-tor Olga: OAL-guh Pablo: PAHB-lo Rebekah: reh-BEH-kuh Sebastien: se-BAS-tee-en Tanya: TAHN-yuh Van: van Wendy: WEN-dee When is the Atlantic hurricane season? The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said. The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories. When is the peak of hurricane season? National Hurricane Center map: See what forecasters watching now Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include: Why does NHC say 'tropical cyclone' on its maps instead of hurricane or tropical storm? Tropical cyclone is the generic term used by the National Weather Service, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center for any tropical system, even if it's in the tropical Atlantic basin. To be more precise, a tropical cyclone is a "rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation," NOAA sadi. Once maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, what it is called is determined by where it originated: : for storms in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific. : for storms in the Northwest Pacific. : for storms in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text What's next? We will update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Center increases chances storm development
