Washington D.C. Flooding Leads to Water Rescues, Stranded Vehicles

A flash flood emergency was declared Monday morning for the nation's capital and surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia after the area received nearly a month's worth of rain in an hour.

The heavy rains flooded numerous roads causing dozens of drivers to be stranded.

All lanes of the Capital Beltway’s inner loop shut down about 8:30 a.m. at the American Legion Bridge, the Washington Post reported. A jackknifed tractor trailer blocked all lanes of Interstate 495 between Old Georgetown Road and Route 355, according to Pete Piringer, chief spokesman for Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service.

Rescue crews pulled motorists from cars stranded by the high water in Washington D.C. and many parts of Montgomery County, Maryland. In Virginia, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said it had responded to more than 30 calls for swift water rescues by about 9:30 a.m.

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