Hurricane Ian remnants to impact Bethesda sooner than expected

The worst of Hurricane Ian may have already passed in Florida, but the now-Tropical Storm is expected to make a speedy trip up the East Coast, including a jaunt out to sea and another landfall somewhere in the South. Yesterday, Ian's timetable for arrival in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and North Virginia area began to look like it was slipping from early next week to this weekend. Now, Accuweather is forecasting the first rains of Ian to arrive in the Mid-Atlantic as early as tomorrow. 

Tropical rain showers are now expected all weekend, and showers may continue from Monday into Wednesday. This does not look good for events like Taste of Bethesda this Saturday. Rain associated with Ian will arrive well ahead of the actual storm center, which is expected to pass through Maryland sometime Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Ian has further business south of here first, however. After crawling across mainland Florida, the storm will go back over the Atlantic, and make another landfall tomorrow evening. Accuweather currently predicts Ian's landfall will be somewhere near the border of Georgia and South Carolina Friday night; the National Hurricane Center's prediction is for a landfall in South Carolina. 

The full impact of Ian's second landfall, and the strength of the storm's remnants when it arrives here in the D.C. area, will be determined by how long it drifts over the waters of the Atlantic prior to Friday night's landfall. The National Hurricane Center says the storm could again near hurricane strength as it approaches land.

Ian already has shown plenty of destructive power after making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Over 2 million utility customers in Florida are currently without electricity. Accuweather reports that every customer in Hardee County, Florida is in the dark. Part of the Sanibel Causeway collapsed, the only bridge between Sanibel Island and mainland Florida. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said earlier this morning that helicopter rescues are being performed on barrier islands by the Coast Guard and Florida National Guard. He said 100 portable cell towers are being set up to restore some level of phone service, and that power line infrastructure in the hardest hit areas would in some cases have to be entirely rebuilt. Pine Island Bridge, like the Sanibel Causeway, is damaged and impassable, he added.

Fox Weather reports that there are believed to be hundreds of fatalities in Lee County, Florida, according to the sheriff there. Accuweather reports one confirmed death in Florida from Hurricane Ian, a 72-year-old man in Deltona. He slipped down a hill behind his home into a flooding drainage ditch while trying to drain his pool as the storm approached his area at 1:00 AM this morning. Fox Weather also reports Ian has caused a 200-year flood event in Orlando. More than a foot of rain has fallen on the city.

DeSantis said his state has all of the supplies it needs for storm victims. "It's much better to donate financially, rather than sending items. We've got a lot of items," he said at a news conference this morning. Those seeking to help storm victims displaced in Florida can have the greatest impact by donating funds at FloridaDisasterFund.org, or text DISASTER to 20222, he said. Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis said the fund has already raised $1.6 million in the last 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Ian's current location is 40 miles east of Orlando, the National Hurricane Center reports. Its current maximum sustained winds are at 65 MPH, and it is moving NE at 8 MPH.

Graphic courtesy Accuweather.com

Flood watch in effect until 2:00 PM today for Central Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for all of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including Montgomery County and Central Maryland to the border with Pennsylvania. It is in effect from 4:00 AM to 2:00 PM this afternoon, September 6, 2022. There is the possibility of rainfall of 2-3" during this time, with potential totals up to 5" in some areas, due to heavy showers and possible thunderstorms.

Expect creeks, streams, rivers and flood-prone areas to experience high water levels and overflows. If you see high water in the road ahead, do not attempt to drive through it. Turn around and find an alternate route.

Maryland SHA treating Rockville Pike ahead of Wednesday snow storm

A significant snowstorm approaching the northeast is expected to drop up to 3 inches of snow on Montgomery County Wednesday into Thursday. The key variable will be how much comes down as snow, and how much as rain. Maryland's State Highway Administration isn't taking any chances. Rockville Pike (MD 355) had already received a layer of deicing solution between Rockville and downtown Bethesda last night, 24 hours before the storm was even expected to arrive.

Bethesda snow update

Bethesda Storm Center

Snow Update

Roads around Bethesda are snow-covered already this morning, and driving conditions are poor. Montgomery County and Maryland State Highway Administration crews are treating roadways and plowing. County vehicles have passed through some neighborhood streets overnight.

It is currently 20.7°F in the Woodmont Triangle in downtown Bethesda. It is 21.6°F in Spring Hill, 20.7°F in Sumner, 20.5°F in Burning Tree, and 21.6°F in Grosvenor. Winds are from the South-to-Southeast, with gusts of 7 MPH.

Snow will continue on and off this morning, before switching over to sleet and freezing rain this afternoon and evening. Late tonight, it will gradually turn into rain as temperatures rise overnight.

Metrobus is on Severe Service Plan - bad news, because the T2 doesn't operate under that plan, and neither do several of the J routes in Bethesda. J2 is on regular route. J3 will have a detour near Rock Spring.

Metrorail is operating on Saturday schedule, and parking is free in Metro garages.

Ride On Bus is on a holiday schedule.

Montgomery County Public Schools are already closed for the holiday today.

Stay tuned here (and 24/7 on Twitter at @BethesdaRow) for updates throughout the storm.

Bethesda snow cleanup continues; sidewalks blocked, new run on groceries (Photos)

As the majority of Montgomery County finally had access to the road system yesterday, a second wave of stocking up on groceries depleted some store shelves of essential items. Snow piles and unshoveled sidewalks continue to bedevil pedestrians in urban and suburban areas alike. And crews continue to remove bulk amounts of snow from downtown Bethesda, where last night Veterans Park was still in a snow drift.

Veterans Park
Wednesday night

Capital Bikeshare station
was dug out

Liberty gas station at
Bradley and Arlington

Snow pile at
Bradley Shopping Center 

Wisconsin Avenue 

The infamous newspaper
boxes of downtown Bethesda
didn't weather the storm so well

Not likely to park here

Wisconsin Avenue

7-Eleven

Wisconsin at Cheltenham 

Still snow in road
many places

Westbard Avenue at
Ridgefield Road 

Ridgefield Road looking
toward River Road; snow
pile blocking sidewalk at
crosswalk

The milk case was raided
at the Westbard Giant

But they had plenty of
other things in stock, like
in-demand ice melter

And it's a classic brand
name you can trust

Assessing MoCo's snow response + Bethesda snow/transit/plow update

A Montgomery County voter
is asked if he remembers voting
for the County Council and Executive
who presided over the blizzard fiasco

Here's an update on the current status of transit services, snow plowing, and pedestrian/cycling facilities in Montgomery County. Before scrolling down, let's assess the County's blizzard fiasco and what can be changed to avoid another one. The experience of the last few days has shown there are several areas in which the County needs to improve its storm response capabilities.

One telling sign is that DC had over 600 pieces of equipment to move and clear snow. Montgomery began with over 700, and was up to 800 pieces in the last couple of days. Should a jurisdiction as large as MoCo have not much more equipment than the smaller District of Columbia? That's a clear indication, along with the results and many complaints, that MoCo did not have sufficient assets and personnel in place. Snow operations personnel have been working hard around the clock; there simply weren't enough of them.

Second, we've been told 311 will "get it done". Several residents around the County told me they could not get an answer from that County service line yesterday. Later, the County acknowledged that a record number of calls to 311 were received, and that many did not go through. 311 had more calls in one half-hour period Tuesday than it usually receives in an entire day. This was largely due to the number of unplowed streets residents were calling to complain about.

Third, despite Councilmember Hans Riemer's claims of being an open data guru, the storm fiasco helped bring to light that - five years after Riemer took office - the County's online Plow Tracker map isn't actually a real-time app, and isn't being instantly updated from GPS systems on trucks as we were led to believe. The map should be updated to provide that. Of course, a fancy map won't mean much if the County doesn't have enough personnel and trucks on hand to get the job done.

Fourth, Riemer's sidewalk-clearing law has been a complete bust. It's not being enforced, and we're getting the same dangerous results this time as pedestrians are forced to enter the roadway into oncoming traffic. Riemer took an unwarranted election year victory lap after passage of his law, as local media sycophants cheered him on. According to a Gazette (much missed - not!) report at the time, "the legislation seeks to ensure sidewalks are passable after storms and should improve how the county fulfills the intent of its law requiring snow removal, bill sponsor Councilman Hans Riemer said. 'The goal of this bill is to make our county more walkable in every season,' Riemer (D-At Large) of Takoma Park said."

Are you finding sidewalks around the County "walkable" today? I thought he said "every season." Cost of Riemer's law, the public education component that would magically move property owners to obey it, and the County implementation of it? $6,458,000, according to the Gazette.

We are being governed by some very incompetent people, folks.

UPDATES

Metro has announced that the Silver Line is back in service as of this morning, meaning the entire Metrorail system is now operational 82 hours after the snow stopped falling in the DC-area. Metrobus is operating under a Moderate Snow Schedule. The T2 is back in service today (Friendship Heights-Rockville via River Road). Many of the J routes remain out of service.

MetroAccess will operate on regular hours today.

All Ride On routes will have service on the S-Plan schedule.

Free parking in County public garages and lots has been extended through 9:00 AM tomorrow, January 28.

The Capital Crescent Trail has been plowed, is open, and still slick in spots; caution is advised.

The Bethesda Circulator bus will not operate again today.

A tractor-trailer jacknifed in the southbound lanes of I-270, leaving the local lanes temporarily blocked as rush hour got underway this morning.

Montgomery County's plow tracker map indicates that all streets that hadn't been reached yesterday in Springfield, Green Acres, Wood Acres, Spring Hill, Mohican Hills, Randolph Hills, Rock Creek Palisades, Stoneybrook Estates, and Aspen Hill have now been completed.

Most residents' assessment of Montgomery County's response to the storm is decidedly less positive than that expressed by County Executive Ike Leggett yesterday at a press conference. Leggett was not pressed to apologize by media, unlike DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who did issue an apology.

Leggett promised every street in the County would have at least one lane cleared by 7:00 AM this morning. I've located only one complaint so far after the deadline passed, from a service road resident on Connecticut Avenue in Silver Spring. If your street has not been plowed yet, send me an email at robert [at] robertdyer [dot] net and call 311 to report it.

Bobcat loaders and plows worked all through the night to remove and move snow in downtown Bethesda and in neighborhoods along the River Road corridor.

In the Springfield neighborhood, one resident with an unplowed street flagged down a passing pickup truck with a snowplow attached to the front. After some negotiations, the pickup's driver began to plow part of the street for a cash payment. The private sector had provided service before the taxpayer-funded public sector in a classic free-market exchange.

Sidewalks remain snowdrifts in many places, including along River Road in Bethesda, and in front of the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase. Leggett acknowledged the widespread problem for pedestrians at his news conference, but has not yet produced a plan of action to address it.

Restaurants and businesses open in Bethesda today #Jonas #Snowzilla #Blizzard2016

Here we go again today - what is open, and what is closed in Bethesda, on Day 2 of the Blizzard of 2016. Here is a list I will update as reports come in. If you would like to pass on an update today, email me at robert [at] robertdyer [dot] net, tweet to @BethesdaRow (or post in the comment section below for immediate results).

Check out yesterday's list for clues as to who else might be planning to open, but may not have made an announcement regarding today yet.

OPEN:

Tastee Diner
Luke's Lobster
Dolcezza (until 5 PM)
Caddies on Cordell (opens at 1:00 PM)
Rock Bottom
Smoke BBQ
The Barking Dog
Brickside Food and Drink
Stella Barra (2PM) [Pike and Rose]
Tommy Joe's
Paisano's Pizza (they ask that you call ahead to verify (301) 215-9200)
Olazzo (opening at 4 PM)
Gringos and Mariachis (3 PM for the game; 4 PM for dining)


CLOSED FOR LUNCH (businesses still deciding whether or not to open later today):

Uncle Julio's
Whole Foods Bethesda


CLOSED ALL DAY:

Mon Ami Gabi
Cava Grill
Georgetown Cupcake
Soup Up
PassionFish
Redwood
RideOn Bus
Metrobus
Metrorail
Whole Foods Friendship Heights
Villain and Saint (concert canceled)
Drybar
Westfield Montgomery Mall

Bethesda snow aftermath update

Bethesda is experiencing clear skies for the first time in two days this morning, as a full moon set prior to sunrise. Winter Storm Jonas has left the area, where damage is far less than what could have been.

Wind gusts of 60-65 MPH never materialized, fortunately. Snow totals varied across Bethesda, but some spots did reach the widely-expected 30" mark, including Garrett Park, according to the National Weather Service. In contrast, the Town of Somerset in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase area had only 22". Olney led the County with 31.5", and Damascus was a close second with 30".

The current temperature in downtown Bethesda is 18 degrees, but wind gusts are making that feel like only 6 degrees. Today will be clear and sunny, with a high of 29 plunging overnight to a brutal 9 degrees, in time for what will be an equally-brutal commute Monday morning.

Embarrassingly, New York City received more snow than the District, yet kept the underground portion of its subway system in-service throughout the storm, while our Metro system simply shut down for the weekend. Metrobus service was also suspended through Sunday.

Montgomery County's Department of Transportation snow operations map shows primary roads still in the process of being cleared, and no action yet on primary or secondary neighborhood streets.

Interstate 270 has reopened moments ago.

Pepco, which should be commended despite the storm's winds not reaching the speeds predicted, is currently reporting that all customers have electricity. That's certainly impressive under the circumstances, but we'll find out if it holds for the rest of the day.

Whole Foods in Bethesda (River Road) remains closed today. Westfield Montgomery Mall is expected to announce at 10:30 AM whether it will reopen this afternoon.

Stay tuned here on the blog, and 24/7 on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for updates.

How many inches of snow in Bethesda so far?

How many inches of snow in Bethesda as of this point in the blizzard? An official total at 8:30 AM showed 16", but I've received reports of 17 and as many as 19 inches from around town.

The current temperature is 24.3 degrees. Expect the snow and wind to increase around 11 AM again through mid-afternoon, when we are forecast to get at least another three inches.

Snow is predicted to taper off as early as 10 or 11 PM tonight.

Stay tuned here and on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for updates throughout the storm.

Thundersnow in Bethesda

Thundersnow has returned to the DC area, thanks to the Blizzard of 2016, A long blast of thunder roared over Bethesda around 6:15 AM this morning. It didn't sound like thunder during a summer thunderstorm. There is a report of lightning, as well.

Stay tuned for further updates on Winter Storm Jonas as it passes through Bethesda here on the blog, and on Twitter at @BethesdaRow.

Winter Storm Jonas update for Bethesda

Bethesda Storm Center

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared a State of Emergency, as Winter Storm Jonas approaches the D.C. metro area. The temperature is currently 21 degrees F. A Blizzard Warning will be in effect beginning at 3:00 PM this afternoon.

Expect the snow to begin between noon and 1:00 PM today, and to intensify by mid-afternoon. Blizzard conditions are predicted to start around mid-evening, and winds will increase dramatically to 25-35 MPH, with dangerous gusts up to 60 MPH. That almost guarantees power outages in the area.

Accumulations of at least 2 feet are expected (24-30" is the latest National Weather Service prediction), with the possibility of setting a new record for the area. Temperatures overnight will be in the mid-20s, but feel far colder with the Arctic wind gusts. Whiteout conditions are expected from Friday night through Saturday.

Montgomery County public parking lots and garages will be FREE starting today at noon, through 9:00 AM on Monday, January 25. If you're willing to gamble that there will be any kind of auto travel possible by Monday morning, you could theoretically stash your car in a public garage and avoid having to dig it out. Street meters won't be free, however. Watch to make sure you are not parked along a snow emergency route.

Montgomery County Public Schools are closed. It is not recommended anyone be out on the roads once the storm gets fully underway.

Stay tuned here on the blog, and on Twitter 24/7 (follow @BethesdaRow now to get ready) throughout the storm for updates and information.

Bethesda prepares for Winter Storm Jonas (Photos) #MDsnow #DCsnow #DC #Jonas

Bethesda residents and businesses have used the ample warning time to well-prepare for Winter Storm Jonas, expected to arrive mid-afternoon today in the DC area.

The Giant at the Westwood Shopping Center last night around 9:00 PM was fairly crowded, but lines weren't as long as you might have expected. There was no wait at all for a self-checkout aisle.

Shelves were virtually bare in the bread aisle. Also cleaned out were eggs, water, yogurt, cheese, sliced deli meat, most of the butcher department, and many organic products.

But the store was doing a great job - there was plenty of milk in stock, plenty of frozen dinners, and even paper goods. I was able to get everything I needed - except every single jar of regular Jif peanut butter had been snapped up, so I had to get Skippy instead. #RodStewartProblems

Bread aisle

Butcher department

Yogurt

Eggs

Sandwich meats

Cheese

Organics

Who would have guessed
arugula is popular in
Bethesda?

Cilantro

Meanwhile, outside the store, a car carrier truck driver was frantically loading automobiles in the far end of the parking lot. In recent months, Ourisman has stored extra vehicle stock in that parking area at the shopping center. Last night, all of those cars had been - or were being - removed ahead of the storm.

Elsewhere in Bethesda, retail and restaurant businesses were strategizing emergency schedules and battening down the hatches. Quartermaine Coffee Roasters at Bethesda Row already had an announcement taped up regarding its schedule for the weekend - closing at 1:00 PM today, and remaining closed Saturday.

Their neighbor, Bethesda Bagels, will close an hour later at 2:00 PM today.

Also at Bethesda Row, Redwood is promising to be open all day on Bethesda Lane. Stop in during lunch (11:30 AM - 2:30 PM), and you'll get a free cup of their soup of the day.

In the Woodmont Triangle, Grapeseed is making a similar pledge. Chef Jeff Heineman says Grapeseed will open as usual at 11:30 AM, and then "stay open straight thru until I have to leave in order not to die on the way home."

Chevy Chase Supermarket, where employees often sleep in the store to serve the surrounding community during weather events like this, will open at 9:00 AM this morning. In stock will be gallon bottled water, firewood, logs, sterno, and fully-stocked deli, dairy and meat departments.

Stay tuned here, and 24/7 on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for updates throughout the storm.