Thursday, March 10, 2011 – Steve Fermier and John Patti

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Baltimore Metro Area until 4:30 p.m. As of 12:30 this afternoon, forecasters say over an inch of rain has already fallen and more is expected.

Baltimore County officials shut down the 7300-block of Golden Ring Road in the eastern portion of the county due to high water. North Point Boulevard around Quad Avenue in Baltimore City is also closed.

A coastal flood warning remains in effect until 3 a.m. tomorrow for areas along the Bay.

Click HERE for the latest maps from the National Weather Service.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN…
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND
HOWARD COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND
BALTIMORE COUNTY IN NORTHERN MARYLAND
BALTIMORE CITY IN NORTHERN MARYLAND
HARFORD COUNTY IN NORTHERN MARYLAND

* UNTIL 430 PM EST

* AT 1234 PM EST RADAR ESTIMATES AND SURFACE REPORTS INDICATE OVER
AN INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE LAST SIX HOURS IN THE BALTIMORE
METRO REGION.

* NUMEROUS AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS HAVE RISEN OWING TO THE RAINFALL
AND WILL CONTINUE TO RISE AS MORE RAIN CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON.

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED.
STREAM RISES WILL BE SLOW AND FLASH FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED.
HOWEVER…ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS
IMMEDIATELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS…HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY…COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS…STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-
HARFORD-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES-
ANNE ARUNDEL-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…WASHINGTON…FREDERICK…WESTMINSTER…
GAITHERSBURG…COLUMBIA…BALTIMORE…ANNAPOLIS…
CHARLOTTESVILLE…LEESBURG…CULPEPER…MANASSAS…
MANASSAS PARK…FAIRFAX…ALEXANDRIA…FALLS CHURCH…
FREDERICKSBURG…WARRENTON

…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA…NORTH-CENTRAL AND
EASTERN MARYLAND INCLUDING THE WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE
METROPOLITAN AREAS.

* THROUGH THIS EVENING

* PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL
AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH THIS EVENING. BY THE TIME THE FRONT
CLEARS THE AREA TONIGHT…TWO THE THREE INCHES OF RAIN WITH ARE
POSSIBLE.

* THE FORECASTED RAINFALL AMOUNTS LIKELY WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF
LOW LYING AREAS…AS WELL AS CAUSE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO
RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS. THE RUNOFF WOULD THEN CREATE
SIGNIFICANT RISES ON AREA RIVERS.

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.

————————–

…THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN
MARYLAND…VIRGINIA…WEST VIRGINIA…

POTOMAC RIVER AT HARPERS FERRY AFFECTING WASHINGTON…LOUDOUN AND
JEFFERSON COUNTIES

…THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN WEST
VIRGINIA…MARYLAND…VIRGINIA…
SOUTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER NEAR SPRINGFIELD AFFECTING HAMPSHIRE
COUNTY
POTOMAC RIVER AT POINT OF ROCKS AFFECTING FREDERICK AND LOUDOUN
COUNTIES
RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER AT REMINGTON AFFECTING CULPEPER AND FAUQUIER
COUNTIES
RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER AT FREDERICKSBURG AFFECTING CITY OF
FREDERCKSBRG…SPOTSYLVANIA AND STAFFORD COUNTIES
CONOCOCHEAGUE CREEK AT FAIRVIEW AFFECTING WASHINGTON COUNTY
OPEQUON CREEK NEAR MARTINSBURG AFFECTING BERKELEY COUNTY
GOOSE CREEK NEAR LEESBURG AFFECTING LOUDOUN COUNTY
MONOCACY RIVER NEAR FREDERICK AFFECTING FREDERICK COUNTY

———————————-

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-HARFORD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES- ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-CALVERT- PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-KING GEORGE- 946 AM EST THU MAR 10 2011

…COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EST FRIDAY… …COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IS CANCELLED…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EST FRIDAY. THE COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIDAL ANOMALY…2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL.

* TIMING…NEAR TIMES OF HIGH TIDE THROUGH TONIGHT.

* EXPECTED IMPACTS…MODERATE TIDAL FLOODING DURING TIMES OF HIGH TIDE.

HERE ARE THE TIMES OF THE NEXT HIGH TIDES FOR A FEW LOCATIONS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH… ON THE CHESAPEAKE BAY… HAVRE DE GRACE…1:13 PM AND 1:32 AM… BOWLEY BAR…10:51 AM AND 11:10 PM… FORT MCHENRY BALTIMORE…10:00 AM AND 10:19 PM… ANNAPOLIS U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY…8:49 PM… CHESAPEAKE BEACH…7:32 PM… SOLOMONS ISLAND…5:41 PM… POINT LOOKOUT…4:51 PM…

NOW ALONG THE POTOMAC RIVER… WASHINGTON CHANNEL…11:06 AM AND 11:47 PM… ALEXANDRIA…11:24 AM AND 12:05 AM… INDIAN HEAD…10:52 AM AND 11:33 PM… AQUIA CREEK…9:38 AM AND 10:19 PM… GOOSE BAY…7:39 PM… COLTONS POINT…6:29 PM…

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RISING WATER…AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.