Helene and NC, could that happen in the DMV?

[Anonymous]

Could the flooding and devastation from hurricane Helene happen here in the DMV? What are the chances that a category 4 hurricane hits us and causes flash flooding and severe destruction such as what happened in North Carolina?

[Anonymous]

Well, we aren't evacuating. In the first ten minutes someone would overturn their car in the middle of 66. BTW, it was a tropical storm and we have had those blow through here.

[Anonymous]

It has happened in Vermont and inland NJ in the past couple of years. When you get many inches of rain in a very short time, small rivers get very dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Good point, there is the Potomac and really no way out.

[Anonymous]

Not to the same extent, thus far, as what happened in NC. But on Sept 8 2011, the DMV had significant flooding https://www.flickr.com/photos/fairfaxcounty/6128190415/ Please google that date + flooding for more photos. A man was killed in water that flooded a roadway. And yes, the Potomac, as mentioned above.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this thread OP. Wapo article said only 0.8 percent of homes had flood insurance and it got me thinking.

Well duh. They are INLAND. I always thought insurance was insurance and they pay out for (most) any event to get your house back to normal. They run the numbers of what could happen, risk algorithms, give you a price.

And if you live in a flood prone area and get insurance they run the algorithm and say hey dude, get the flood insurance too, and you do.

So I'm kind of stunned or maybe just stupid and naive that insurance companies are not taking responsibility for this risk, even inland. I know flood is "different" but it should be factored into the entire algorithm wherever you live, and you pay what the risk is. No separate flood insurance.

Which I think they are starting to do on the coasts--require it-- which they should have done all along.

How am I so off base?

[Anonymous]

Asheville and its surroundings are geographically different from the DC area and pretty distinct from most other places, as far as I understand.

It was the perfect storm (no pun intended) of a 1,000 year event, in an area that is essentially a shallow bowl surrounded by higher elevations with runoff, also surrounded by TWO major rivers and countless creeks, in a geographically remote (relatively) location with fewer resources/harder to travel roads/where it is harder to store and disseminate supplies.

I mean, catastrophic rare events can impact anyone, but the exact combination of what affected Asheville is not likely to affect DC. Take your pick or what could, including flooding, but not in that formula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good point, there is the Potomac and really no way out.

OP here. Yes, my main concern is the Potomac and all the small tributaries that feed into it flooding if there is a cat 4 hurricane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asheville and its surroundings are geographically different from the DC area and pretty distinct from most other places, as far as I understand.

It was the perfect storm (no pun intended) of a 1,000 year event, in an area that is essentially a shallow bowl surrounded by higher elevations with runoff, also surrounded by TWO major rivers and countless creeks, in a geographically remote (relatively) location with fewer resources/harder to travel roads/where it is harder to store and disseminate supplies.

I mean, catastrophic rare events can impact anyone, but the exact combination of what affected Asheville is not likely to affect DC. Take your pick or what could, including flooding, but not in that formula.

Thanks PP for this explanation. Makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good point, there is the Potomac and really no way out.

OP here. Yes, my main concern is the Potomac and all the small tributaries that feed into it flooding if there is a cat 4 hurricane.

You don't really care about the category of the hurricane if you're here. Category 4 is purely a function of wind speed, and this far inland the danger is almost all from flooding. My hometown in NC flooded badly in a hurricane that made landfall as a category 1.

[Anonymous]

I’d say yes, but to a lesser extent. There are tons of little streams across the area that all lead down to the bigger/Potomac. Any area facing 20 inches of rain in 24 hours will have damage.

Vermont and the TN/NC areas have towns built along river valleys. It only seems logical that these areas would get washed away. The homes in the mountains suffered tree damage and some flash flooding damage. That’s likely what most people in the DC area would suffer.

Also, the downstream effect would likely submerge a good portion of SE and SW DC.

[Anonymous]

There is a creek in the park behind my house, and FEMA updated their flood map to now include a small portion of the back of my house. The worst downpours so far have raised the creek to almost my property line, so it's possible my house could flood.

It wouldn't reach our roads though given the distance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d say yes, but to a lesser extent. There are tons of little streams across the area that all lead down to the bigger/Potomac. Any area facing 20 inches of rain in 24 hours will have damage.

Vermont and the TN/NC areas have towns built along river valleys. It only seems logical that these areas would get washed away. The homes in the mountains suffered tree damage and some flash flooding damage. That’s likely what most people in the DC area would suffer.

Also, the downstream effect would likely submerge a good portion of SE and SW DC.

Agree SE/SW would flood. I was also thinking the area near canal road/Macarthur blvd. it’s so close to the Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Always get flood insurance.

[Anonymous]

Only Cat 2, we did have Isabel hit 20 years ago.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/09/18/remembering-hurricane-isabel-10-years-later-photos/