Update: Three Dead in Fairfax County Flooding, More Rain This afternoon

Update, 7:50 am Saturday Sept. 10

Fairfax police thnk this may be the third death connected to the flooding that engulfed the area Thurday evening after heavy rains.

Police are investigating the death of Galo Sebastian Salvador Vinueza, 25, of 9053 Two Bays Road in Lorton, as an apparent drowning.

Around 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, September 8, Vinueza’s wife returned home late in the evening due to flooding on the roadway. Her husband was not there and she left to search for him. She located his vehicle parked unattended in the 8800 block of Telegraph Road near the Accotink Creek Bridge. She contacted police, who initiated a search for Vinueza. He was not located and officers entered him as a missing and endangered adult.

Shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday, September 9, Vinueza’s wife notified police that her husband had not returned home. Patrol officers coordinated with Fort Belvoir fire and emergency services to continue searching the area.

Fort Belvoir fire personnel located Vinueza’s body on base at the Davison Air Field. It appears he attempted to walk across the flooded bridge on foot but was swept away by the current.
Detectives with Fairfax County Police initiated a joint investigation with the Army Criminal Investigations Division. The Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death. 
           

Update  Friday 11:23 am. McLean Cancellations/Closings:

• The Old Firehouse Teen Center’s Back to School Dance, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. has been cancelled and will be rescheduled. For more information, contact OFTC at 703-448-8336, TTY 711.

• Pimmit Senior Center – all participants are being directed to Lewinsville Senior Center. 

Update: 10:18 am: Two people in Fairfax County died in drowning accidents following heavy, sudden rainfall on Thursday, Fairfax police said Friday morning.

Jake Donaldson, 12, was reported missing around 6 p.m., believed to have been swept away by flood waters in his backyard in the 9700 block of Marcliff Court in Oakton. Numerous police and fire personnel responded to the scene in the torrential downpour to search for the boy. His body was found around 8 pm. in Piney Branch Creek at Lawyers Road, police said.

Detectives are continuing to investigate.

In another incident at around 7 p.m., police and emergency personnel responded to an apparent drowning of a 67-year-old man. He had been driving his Toyota Yaris in rising waters near Beech Mill Road at Club View Drive in Great Falls, police said.

The man, Arsalan Hakiri, was swept downstream in his car. As he apparently tried to get out, he was swept into the creek and drowned near Carrwood Drive, police said.

Detectives from the Crash Reconstruction Unit are continuing to investigate.

Friday Morning 7:16 am: The rain continues this morning.  The National Weather Service is predicting up to another inch of rain today in Fairfax County, with higher amounts possible in some areas.

The heaviest bands are expected later this afternoon. Moderate flooding is possible, Fairfax county officials said this morning.

Fairfax County Government offices are open today, Sept. 9, however employees have been granted unscheduled leave. Emergency service personnel should report as scheduled.

Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed. School Age Child Care (SACC) centers are closed.

The Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court are open as scheduled.

McLean Roads that are closed:

Swinks Mill Between Old Dominion & Rt 193

Swinks Mill Between Balls Hill & Rt 193

Old Dominion Dr / 495

Towlston Between Old Dominion & Rt 193

View the public meetings calendar at  for any potential cancellations of public meetings of Fairfax County government Boards, Authorities or Commissions.

Emergency information is available on Fairfax County’s Web site www.fairfaxcounty.gov,  Facebook www.facebook.com/fairfaxcounty, Twitter www.twitter.com/fairfaxcounty, the Community Emergency Alert Network (CEAN) at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cean, or by calling the Fairfax County Emergency Information Hotline at 703-571-350-1263 or 703-571-1265, TTY 711.

Update:Thursday 10:30 pm. County offices will be open Friday. Fairfax County schools are closed.

Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court have not yet made a decision on operating status.

Fairfax County to residents: Stay off the roads, especially at night. Fairfax County has received 5 inches of rain in the last 3 hours. Heavy rains will continue until approximately midnight.

Update 9:32pm.All Fairfax County public schools will be closed Friday. The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:

• extracurricular activities
• interscholastic contests
• team practices
• field trips
• middle school after-school programs
• professional learning and training courses
• all adult and community education classes
• recreation programs

School Age Child Care (SACC) centers are closed.

We have a growing number of neighbors without power.

Update. 7:15. Roads closed in McLean area as of 4 p.m. Old Courthouse/Besley
 Oberon Way/Capulet Ct
 1362 Kirby Road
 Swinks Mill Rd/Georgetown Pike

Less than a dozen McLean residents have lost power.

Update. 6:20pm. Neighbors report dangerous conditions on Kirby Road near Pimmit Creek. Be careful.

Update. 6:15pm. All lane and ramp closures for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project have been cancelled for tonight, due to the heavy rains.
 
Please exert extreme caution should you travel through any areas in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, due to flash flooding and standing water in many area roadways, said the Dulles Metrorail folks.

Original Story:It's going to be long commute today with the rain and some roads become impassable because of flooding and rising creeks.

Please stay off the roads if you can because many roads are impassable due to flooding, Fairfax County said in an alert to residents. If you have to be on the road, don't forget to turn on your headlights, the county advised.

A flash flood watch has been extended until 7:30pm in Fairfax and throughout Northern Virginia.

This afternoon several McLean schools including Langley and Spring Hill sent notes to parents staying that bus routes had been disrupted because of flooding on roads and closed roads. Both schools are located in the Langley District.

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust sent along these Flooding Safety Tips from the county fire department:

Flash flooding of roads, streams, and other low-lying areas during heavy and prolonged rainfall can be dangerous. This is especially true for motorists attempting to negotiate a roadway that cannot be easily seen because of high water and limited visibility. Flooding due to high rainfall and swollen streams can take its toll on the unsuspecting driver. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department offers the following safety tips when flooding is forecasted and locations of past flooding areas.
• Never drive through a flooded roadway; the depth, current, and condition of the road are all unknowns and can be deadly.
• If you come to a flooded area while driving, stop and take an alternate route.
• If your vehicle stalls on a flooded road and water is rising, get out of car, call 911, and move to higher ground.
• Always stay away from floodwaters; even six inches of swiftly moving water can knock someone off their feet.
• Approximately two feet of swift water can move or float most vehicles, including SUV’s and pickup trucks.
• Never let children near flooded areas.
• When flooding is predicted, keep your vehicle parked in your garage or on the driveway away from low-lying areas and large drains.
• Be especially cautious during periods of limited visibility or nighttime when it is extremely difficult to see and judge conditions.