Skip to main content

Flash Flood Watches still in effect

By Lauryn Ricketts

UPDATE: Thursday – 6/12/2014, 8:25pm ET

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect until midnight for most of the area.

Additionally, there’s a Flash Flood Warning for Washington County, Maryland until 10:00 p.m.

In Frederick County, Maryland and Loudoun County, Virginia, there’s a flood warning for urban areas and small streams.

Check out our Traffic Blog for more on how the weather impacted Thursday commutes.

UPDATE: Thursday – 6/12/2014, 4:20pm ET

WASHINGTON – The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning until 6:45 p.m. for parts of Montgomery County in Maryland and Loudoun County in Virginia.

As much as 1 to 2 inches of rain has already fallen in these areas.

The warning has been extended until 7:15 p.m. for parts of Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland.

As much as 3 inches of rain has already fallen in these areas and another 1 inch is expected, according to the weather service.

A warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. Flash flood waters rise quickly and just 1 foot of flowing water can sweep a vehicle off the road.

EARLIER: Thursday – 6/12/2014, 12:45pm ET

WASHINGTON – There is yet again another chance of showers and storms as we continue through the afternoon and evening hours Thursday.

Thank goodness for the cloud cover, which will help stabilize us and keep temperatures down into the low- to possibly mid-80s for daytime highs. However, with dew points are measuring around 70 degrees. There is a lot of moisture to work with in the air, which increases the humidity levels.

␎ dew.png

The reason for the increased humidity levels is because we have a piece of energy edging towards the East Coast from the Midwest, and winds are circulating around that piece of energy counterclockwise. An area of high pressure sits off the eastern seaboard with winds circulating around the high pressure clockwise. Because we are sandwiched between the two, a nice southerly stream of warm air from the Deep South is transported right into the WTOP listening area.

Because we have so much moisture in the air, any storms or rain that we do see today will have the potential to bring some flooding to the region. A flash flood watch has been posted for the entire area from noon until midnight Thursday.

␎ flashflood.png

Although we had widespread severe storms around the region yesterday, I do not believe we will have a widespread severe outbreak today. However we have an increased threat today to see some flash flooding around the region.

␎ risk.png

The Enhanced Threat for Flash Flooding Conditions around our region today.

␎ rainfall.png

Rainfall accumulation over the past two days. Prince Georges County saw anywhere from a quarter inch to 4 inches of rain.

Because we have had so much rain in the past 48 hours, it is not going to take much rainfall to create flash flooding conditions. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, it will only take between 1.2 inches to 2.25 inches of rain to fall in one hour around the Greater D.C. metro area to create conditions favorable for flash flooding.

␎ flashflood2.png

Unfortunately, we do this all again Friday with a threat of showers and storms throughout the day as the piece of energy in the Midwest will travel to the east bringing its cold front with it. The cold front will march through by Saturday morning. For the most part, these showers and storms will be in the afternoon hours Friday. But we could also see a few during the morning hours.

I expect just a touch more sunshine on Friday than on Thursday. But temperatures will still hold in the mid-80s. However, I am still advertising a beautiful weekend with dew points in the 50s and temperatures in the low- to mid-80s.

Plenty of sunshine around for this weekend as we continue our wonderful weekend streak – we are up to five beautiful weekends in a row!

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook. You can also follow Lauryn Ricketts on Facebook.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote