(September 23rd, 2003)
The big news this week was supposed to have been Isabel. As it turns out, a simple cold front far eclipsed the
weakened hurricane. On Monday, September 22nd, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Loudoun County,
in effect saying that any heavy rain received could cause flooding due to the saturated soil conditions. Light rain
began falling around 1900 hrs that night, but as citizens and public safety crews retired for the evening, they had no idea how
much things would change in just a matter of hours.
Michele Margraf of the National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia provided the following description of the storm:
"A strong cold front moved through the region from west to east during the early morning hours of September 23rd. A large area of rain formed ahead and along the front due to the strong southerly winds that blew in a tremendous amount of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the system the evening before."
"What helped to drop the heaviest rainfall amounts in our area was a strong jet stream that passed over the area just as the front was coming through. The jet stream causes air below to rise quickly and form thick clouds which in this case contained tremendous amount of rain because the atmosphere was so full of water. Unfortunately, when the strong cold front came through it hit this very moist air and squeezed it out in a very short period of time."
"Our office issued a flood watch on the afternoon of the 22nd when we saw the ingredients coming together for the coming night. Here's a list of the totals we have from the Leesburg area from the storm:"
LEESBURG 6.50
N LEESBURG 5.98
S LEESBURG 5.96
With rain falling at rates exceeding 3 inches per hour, stormwater managment systems were quickly overwhelmed. At around 0200 hrs, the calls began coming into the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center (ECC). Leesburg seemed to be the main target of the storm's fury. First, a flooded basement, then a fire alarm, then another flooded basement. Engine 1 responded to the first flooded basement at the Manor apartments, where the building had to be partially evacuated. At least one resident needed special care and could not self-evacuate, so an ambulance was called and arrangments were made to establish an evacuation center at Fire Station 1. Loudoun County's Office of Emergency Managment (OEM) was notified, and they began the coordination necessary to get the Red Cross on-scene to handle the temporary shelter.
The fire alarm and the second flooded basement were handled by Company 1 members who began responding to our stations as soon as the second call was dispatched. Actually getting to the stations proved to be a difficult task, as flood waters already covered several roads in the southwest quadrant of the town. Utility 1 and Deputy Chief 1 responded to the fire alarm, which was quickly ruled a system malfunction, then Utility 1 responded to the second flooded basement on Country Club Drive.
The calls just kept coming. On more than one occasion, non-emergency calls were stacked 7 or 8 deep, waiting for units to become available. Chief Tom Goss and Deputy Chief Marty Mantell quickly made the decision to implement a plan they'd discussed for such an occasion. They set up a command post at Station 20 and began running a local Leesburg dispatch center. At the command post, they tracked units that were out on calls and managed the queue of outstanding incidents. Loudoun ECC funneled the incidents to Leesburg Command, who then assigned units and kept up with their status. Individual operational units were given responsibility for each of the four quadrants of the town. When emergency calls came in, they received top priority, and on at least two occasions necessitated the rerouting of units.
The first of these calls was a water rescue on Gleedsville Road, at the Sycolin Creek bridge. Brush 1, Wagon and Rescue Engine 6, Boat and Utility 13 responded. (For a complete account of this heroic rescue, please go here.
The second call occurred concurrently with the first, and it was also for a water rescue, this time on Plaza Street at Rockbridge Drive. There, a judgementally challenged driver had attempted to drive through 4 feet of water rushing across the roadway. Needless to say, that was a bad decision. Truck 1, Engine 1, Utility 1, Command 1, and ALS 3 were on this call. Firefighters Justin Holmberg and Anthony Jackson from Truck 1 used pompier belts and ropes to secure themselves to the truck as the ladder was extended toward the stalled car. FF Holmberg began advancing toward the car through the flood waters, but his rope became entangled and he had to turn back. FF Jackson then proceeded toward the vehicle and was able to rescue the driver from his car. The patient refused medical treatment and was taken home by Leesburg Police.
After the two water rescues, the flood waters on the roadways began to recede. Company 1 continue to run mulitple calls for flooded basements fire alarms, and other hazards brought about by the flooding. As the sun began to rise, it seemed that the worst was behind us. As it turned out, this was not the case. Official rainfall totals for Leesburg showed that at least 6" of rain fell overnight. The Town of Leesburg covers about 12 square miles, so in just this area, that means that 1,251,256,320 gallons of water hit the ground in a very short period. Where did it all go?
The answer, apparently, is Goose Creek. As the storm waters drained off roads and smaller creeks receded, the water they carried ended up running into this important waterway. Before meeting the Potomac River near the River Creek Community, Goose Creek drains about 1/3 of Loudoun County, and about 1/4 of Fauquier County. Its path put it directly in line with the clouds which dropped so much rain across Loudoun and Fauquier counties. As the sun rose on Friday morning, so did the level of Goose Creek. By early morning, water was over its banks and beginning to flood Route 15 and the surrounding landscape.
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| Goose Creek overflows its banks along Route 15 (Photo: Charles Speacht) |
As waters continued to rise, houses along the creek were threatened. Residents along Oatlands Mill Road became trapped in their homes as the flooded creek began to surround them. Calls to the Loudoun County ECC resulted in the dispatch of two boats and supporting personnel to effect several rescues from the area. Again, Company 1 units were part of the response. Our personnel assisted with command, went with the two boat crews to assist with the rescues, and stood by on the scene to support the rescue effort. Members from Company 1 involved were:
Click on the thumbnail images below to display a full size picture in a window. Click
outside the
window to close it. All pictures in this section courtesy of Charles Speacht, "Photo 1".
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1. Boats from Co. 13 and Co. 17 getting launched. |
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2. Members of Co. 1, Co. 13, Co. 17, and LCFR work on strategy and tactics for the rescue. | |
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3. Looking south down US Route 15 at the Goose Creek bridge. |
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4. A family is rescued from the flood waters surrounding their home. Dry land is a welcome sight. | |
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5. Another family arrives safely at the edge of the flood waters. |
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6. He ain't pretty, but he sure got the job done! LVFC FF Jeff Kraatz models the latest eyewear fashion. |
Click on the thumbnail images below to display a full size picture in a window. Click
outside the
window to close it. All pictures in this section courtesy of Charles Speacht, "Photo 1".
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1. Daylight shows flood waters which once covered Plaza Street have now receded. |
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2. Interfaith Relief's van took an unwelcome trip and was totaled. | |
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3. Another look at the wrecked van. This area had been completely under water in the early morning. |
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4. An all too familiar sight in Leesburg after the flood -- basements full of water. | |
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5. Another view of a flooded basement, this time from the exterior stairwell. |
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6. Company 1 uses their portable pump to remove water from a flooded basement. | |
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7. Water pumped from a basement flows down North Street. |
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8. PFF Loren Stieff carries a much-appreciated neighborhood donation -- coffee! | |
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9. In the pre-dawn hours, fishing was a popular sport along Loudoun Street, S.W. |
