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Call it ‘Wash’-ington: Wet weather, flood watches continue for DC

The Washington Monument can be seen in the distance as floodwaters build up at the Tidal Basin. (草莓传媒/Dave Dildine)
The Washington Monument can be seen in the distance as floodwaters build up at the Tidal Basin. (草莓传媒/Dave Dildine)
Floodwaters consume huge swaths of the Tidal Basin in Washington, Friday. (草莓传媒/Dave Dildine)
Floodwaters consume huge swaths of the Tidal Basin in Washington, Friday. (草莓传媒/Dave Dildine)
Sandbags were being given away to Alexandria residents until 5 p.m. Friday. (草莓传媒/Kristi King)
Sandbags were being given away to Alexandria residents until 5 p.m. Friday. (草莓传媒/Kristi King)
A runner braves the rain along Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C. on Friday. (草莓传媒/Dan Friedell)
A runner braves the rain along Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C. on Friday. (草莓传媒/Dan Friedell)
Water pools in McLean, Virginia, after unrelenting rain on Thursday, May 17, 2018. (草莓传媒/Joslyn Chesson)
Water pools in McLean, Virginia, after unrelenting rain on Thursday, May 17, 2018. (草莓传媒/Joslyn Chesson)
Storm drains in the area, including this one in D.C., are getting a workout Thursday, May 17, 2018. (草莓传媒/Kate Ryan)
Storm drains in the area, including this one in D.C., are getting a workout Thursday, May 17, 2018. (草莓传媒/Kate Ryan)
Many roads in Frederick, Maryland, are closed after days of rain. (草莓传媒/Nick Iannelli)
Many roads in Frederick, Maryland, are closed after days of rain. (草莓传媒/Nick Iannelli)
Rain coming down hard in D.C.鈥檚 Cleveland Park neighborhood. (草莓传媒/Sarah Beth Hensley)
Rain coming down hard in D.C.鈥檚 Cleveland Park neighborhood. (草莓传媒/Sarah Beth Hensley)
Unceasing rains may exacerbate conditions in Frederick. (草莓传媒/Nick Iannelli)
Unceasing rains may exacerbate conditions in Frederick. (草莓传媒/Nick Iannelli)
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The Washington Monument can be seen in the distance as floodwaters build up at the Tidal Basin. (草莓传媒/Dave Dildine)
Floodwaters consume huge swaths of the Tidal Basin in Washington, Friday. (草莓传媒/Dave Dildine)
Sandbags were being given away to Alexandria residents until 5 p.m. Friday. (草莓传媒/Kristi King)
A runner braves the rain along Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C. on Friday. (草莓传媒/Dan Friedell)
Water pools in McLean, Virginia, after unrelenting rain on Thursday, May 17, 2018. (草莓传媒/Joslyn Chesson)
Storm drains in the area, including this one in D.C., are getting a workout Thursday, May 17, 2018. (草莓传媒/Kate Ryan)
Many roads in Frederick, Maryland, are closed after days of rain. (草莓传媒/Nick Iannelli)
Rain coming down hard in D.C.鈥檚 Cleveland Park neighborhood. (草莓传媒/Sarah Beth Hensley)
Unceasing rains may exacerbate conditions in Frederick. (草莓传媒/Nick Iannelli)

WASHINGTON 鈥 It is starting to feel like only Moses can part the seas of floodwaters plaguing the D.C. region.

A flood watch for the entire Washington area remains in effect until 8 a.m. Saturday, and the seemingly endless downpours could add an additional 3 to 5 inches this weekend.

The National Weather Service said that flash flooding can’t be ruled out but the main concern is the flooding of small streams and low-lying areas, saturating the ground and causing trees to become uprooted and toppled.

According to Storm Team4 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen, there might be some relief during the day Saturday, though there is still a chance for rain Sunday.

Monday and Tuesday will also see chances for showers, but the precipitation should clear out Wednesday.

More than 5 inches of rain have fallen this week in parts of D.C., and parts of northern Prince George鈥檚 County have had 6 to 7 inches, Storm Team 4 meteorologist Somara Theodore told 草莓传媒 on Friday afternoon.

One county that has been hit particularly hard is Frederick, Maryland. At least 75 people have had to be rescued from cars that got stuck in high water.

Chris Strong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told 草莓传媒 things should ease up for Frederick residents.

鈥淔ortunately for Frederick, the Monocacy is on its way down. If we can keep too much rain from falling up there, I think the worst hopefully is over for them 鈥 we鈥檙e going to have to watch and just make sure that鈥檚 the case,鈥 he said.

But that doesn’t mean the region is in the clear quite yet.

鈥淚 would expect that most places on the Potomac are going to see at least some minor flooding, minor inundation along the shorelines. But there is the possibility for some more moderate river flooding as well, especially if we get some more substantial rains later on today and tonight,鈥 he said.

According to Strong, the Potomac River near Washington is not expected to crest until Sunday, since it takes a while for rainwater to make its way into larger rivers.

The highest risk areas Friday are Charles, Calvert and St. Mary鈥檚 counties in Maryland, Strong said.

鈥淭hey did get some heavy rain overnight and they鈥檒l continue to get some heavier rain today, so we鈥檙e monitoring not only the water just piling up in low areas, but also the streams that do run through southern Maryland.鈥

And in the City of Alexandria, authorities will be giving away free sandbags until 5 p.m. so residents can protect themselves from flooding. The sandbags can be picked up at 133 S. Quaker Lane.

There is a limit of five bags per residential or business address. Proof of residency or business ownership (such as a driver鈥檚 license or utility bill) in the city must be provided.

Officials ask that sandbags be returned to the pickup location after the storm. They should not be disposed of with normal trash or recycling.

Learn how to best use sandbags at .

Forecast


Friday night: Showers. Highs in the upper 50s.
Saturday: Rain early, then a possible break with a chance for scattered showers throughout the day. Highs in the mid-70s.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, chance for showers. Temps in the mid-80s.
Monday: Chance for showers. Highs in the mid-80s.
Tuesday: Chance for showers. Temps in the mid-80s.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, temps in the low 80s.

Visit our weather page for the latest updates, follow us on Twitter , and listen to live weather reports every 10 minutes on 103.5 FM or via our online stream.

草莓传媒’s John Aaron contributed to this report.

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for 草莓传媒.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining 草莓传媒, he worked for CBS 草莓传媒, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books鈥攁bout a dozen of them, with more to come.

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