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‘Abnormal’ Storm Results in Stranded Motorists, Creeks Overflowing Banks

A flood gauge along the Sligo Creek in Takoma Park registered its highest reading in about 20 years on Saturday.

The waters along the creek that runs through Silver Spring and Takoma Park rose 6.5-feet to a high of 7.5 feet in under an hour, according to Cody Ledbetter, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The rise was “pretty abnormal,” Ledbetter said.

Rock Creek and Cabin John Creek also overflooded their banks during the July 19 storm.


Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) received 100 calls for service. In a normal 24-hour period, MCFRS receives about 400 calls. “It was a heck of a storm,” MCRFS Spokesman Pete Piringer said.

What made the storm so fierce was an air mass on a very hot and humid day that lingered over Montgomery County near the Washington, D.C. border, Ledbetter explained. The storm dropped four to five inches of rain each hour.

The storm slowly moved east to west before heading north, he said, calling that “abnormal.”

On Saturday, MCFRS crews responded to 429 incidents, 285 of which were medical in nature, 92 involved fires and the remaining 52 were diverse, Piringer said.

“There were dozens of water rescues,” he noted. While a few stranded motorists were evaluated by medical emergency crews, there were no serious injuries.

Council President Kate Stewart expressed gratitude to emergency staff workers, noting, “We appreciate all the efforts to keep us safe.”

Stranded motorists due to fast moving floodwaters were aided in Aspen Hill, Kensington, Takoma Park, Silver Spring and Bethesda. Even portions of I495 from Potomac through to Kensington, Takoma Park and Silver Spring were flooded, Piringer said.

Sligo Creek Parkway was closed to all traffic, and Beach Drive was closed from Knowles Avenue to Cedar Lane, toward Kensington Parkway.

Twenty people were stranded in a building at Meadowbrook Park in Chevy Chase and were rescued from the surrounded flood waters, according to Assistant Fire Chief Dave Pazos.

On Sunday, Stewart drove around some of the most affected areas and saw crews cleaning up debris from trails and roads to make sure they were passable.

Also on Sunday, Councilmember Evan Glass went for a walk along the Sligo Creek trail with his two dogs and noted on social media, “The waters of Sligo Creek have subsided this morning.”

One reason the county did not suffer extreme damage or deaths is the early warning alerts the county sends out as part of its flood sensor system.

Thirty four flood sensors were set up throughout the county following the tragic flooding in 2021 at the Rock Creek Woods Apartment in Rockville. One person died and about 150 residents were displaced due to the flooding.

Flood Sensor

The sensors were installed in flood-prone areas. They detect rising water levels during storms and send out warnings right away to officials, who then inform residents.

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