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By Mika Elizabeth Foley
Rappahannock Newts Writer
Recorded as the fifth worst storm at Reagan National Airport, with a snow total there of 16.7 inches, the snowstorm of 2003 is far from over.
While many are still digging out, officials are gearing up for what may be the next hurdle caused by the snow: flooding.
“Whether or not there is going to be any flooding, it is too soon to tell,” said Jim Decarufel, forecaster for the National Weather Service.
“With the milder temperatures coming and the threat of some rainfall over the weekend, the potential exists for some flooding to oc^ur, especially if storm drains are all backed up with snow and everything else.”
Decarufel explained, “For a worst-case scenario, people can recall what happened in 1996. We had 18-24 inches of snow across the area, and then a week and a half later we got very mild air, 60-degree temperatures and a lot of rain It just melted all of the snow and caused horrendous flooding.”
If it rains this weekend, one problem will be water sitting on the roadways, because it doesn’t have anywhere to go. Then it will turn to ice at night, and we wall have areas of black ice as well as ponds of ice.
With the thawing out, plus the rain expected this weekend, there will be the ingredients for a real safety concern and the potential for some really hazardous driving conditions.
Decarufel s office has issued a statement on possible flooding for this weekend as a heads-up for local and county officials to get highway departments and road crews to clear away as rtiuch snow as they can.
Asked if removing the snow from around the foundation of a typical home is necessary, Decarufel said, “No, not really. That's not going to help. You really can’t move it far enough away.
“We have had a lot of rainfall and snowfall previously through October, November, December and the drought is pretty well over with. It looks like the ground water tables are replenished. There really isn’t much a homeowner can do.”
He continued, “We just want
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