Tomorrow (Friday) will be the last chance Fairfax County residents have to take advantage of Walgreens’ experiment with one-hour home deliveries.
At the beginning of June, the pharmacy company launched a pilot program exclusively in the D.C. region that guarantees deliveries to customers within an hour. They can get $10 towards the Walgreens rewards program to use in the future “if it’s even a minute late,” according to a press release.
Running from June 1-30, the pilot included 22 stores in Fairfax County and over 160 stores across Virginia.
“The stores in the northern Virginia/DC area, part of the broader Mid-Atlantic region, were chosen to test the 1-hour Delivery offering because the region contains a large number of storefronts, and serves a mix of population sizes (urban, suburban, rural), allowing us to test our delivery guarantee in a variety of environments,” a Walgreens representative said by email.
More than 27,000 items are eligible for the service, including over-the-counter medicines, but alcohol and prescription medicine deliveries are exempted.
As previously reported by FFXnow’s sister site, ARLnow, Walgreens does tack on a fee for deliveries that varies depending on the products in the order and the distance traveled.
Walgreens introduced same-day deliveries in December, a service that’s available 24 hours a day and includes prescription medications. It also offers 30-minute pickups for orders of $10 or more.
Like many other retailers, Walgreens has been building up its delivery services over the past few years, partnering with companies like Instacart, DoorDash and Postmates.
Nationwide, demand for contactless delivery and curbside pickup services surged early in the pandemic, providing a lifeline to restaurants and other businesses that had to close their doors. At the same time, the third-party apps that proliferated have faced scrutiny for their high commissions and labor practices, while service fees have increased — even for Amazon, which helped set expectations of free, fast shipping.
A full list of the Fairfax County stores participating in the Walgreens pilot is below:
- 7629 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria
- 6717 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria
- 1517 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria
- 4515 Duke Street, Alexandria
- 7100 Silver Lake Boulevard, Alexandria
- 6100 Rose Hill Drive, Alexandria
- 3614 King Street, Alexandria
- 7968 Fort Hunt Rd, Alexandria
- 4300 Backlick Rd, Annandale
- 13926 Lee Hwy, Centreville
- 25421 Eastern Marketplace Plz, Chantilly
- 10320 Main St, Fairfax
- 3050-A Nutley St, Fairfax
- 9579 Braddock Rd, Fairfax
- 6715a Arlington Blvd, Falls Church
- 603 Elden St, Herndon
- 9372 Richmond Highway, Lorton
- 1312 Chain Bridge Road, McLean
- 8414 Old Keene Mill Rd, Springfield
- 5230 Port Royal Road, Springfield
- 225 Maple Ave E, Vienna
A hole was recently found in a sewer pipe along Shreve Road in Idylwood, necessitating emergency repairs that started yesterday (Wednesday).
The issue was discovered during a “routine inspection” of the pipe, which carries wastewater from 34 homes and Shrevewood Elementary School, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.
DPWES described the defect as a visible “hole void.”
Identified by the department’s Wastewater Collection Division (WCD) last week, the defect is severe enough that “immediate action” was required to repair the pipe and prevent it from collapsing, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said yesterday.
“WCD is initiating an emergency response to perform the point repair,” Palchik said in a tweet. “The work will be performed with Utilities Unlimited and is anticipated to start TODAY and be completed within one week.”
According to DPWES spokesperson Sharon North, the actual pipe repair is expected to be finished this week, but more time may be needed to repave the site, depending on whether the Virginia Department of Transportation allows crews to work over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
“We anticipate the pipe repair will be completed this week, but site restoration (repaving) may need to be completed next week pending VDOT decision,” North said. “When the work commences, since the sewer is in the middle of the road, the repair will require some traffic lane closures with flaggers directing traffic to safely perform the work.”
The pipe has the capacity to convey approximately 1.4 million gallons per day of wastewater flow from residents and the school, according to DPWES.
The sewer line was already scheduled to undergo “trenchless” cured-in-place pipe rehabilitation — a type of repair for pipe lining that can be implemented without digging up the pipe.
That rehabilitation work will now begin after the emergency repairs are completed, Palchik said.
WCD is initiating an emergency response to perform the point repair. The work will be performed with Utilities Unlimited and is anticipated to start TODAY and be completed within one week. Following the repair, the entire pipe will be rehabilitated using trenchless CIPP method.
— Dalia Palchik (@SupvPalchik) June 28, 2023
A plan to transform the West Falls Church Metro station’s parking lot into a mixed-use neighborhood has gotten Fairfax County’s approval, but a requested parking reduction — perhaps the most contentious element of the project — won’t be settled until July.
After a public hearing on Tuesday (June 27), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave its support to the proposal from developers EYA, Rushmark Properties, and Hoffman & Associates, known collectively as FGCP-Metro LLC.
Conceived to boost train ridership and revitalize a 24-acre site that Metro has described as “underutilized,” the redevelopment will bring up to 810 multifamily residential units, 85 single-family townhouses (including nine live/work units), a 110,000-square-foot office building and up to 10,000 square feet of retail, totaling over 1 million square feet of development.
The development team has also promised six publicly accessible parks and several transportation improvements, including a shared-use trail on Haycock Road over I-66 and a portion of the West Falls Station Blvd that will eventually link Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) to the West Falls development now under construction in Falls Church City.
“In my opinion, the project meets all the criteria for a mixed-use development option in the [West Falls Church Transit Station Area] comprehensive plan,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, who represents the area. “I’m excited about the benefits it will bring to the community, and it’s not just me. It’s the community residents who have also said [that].”
The board’s approval came three months after the Fairfax County Planning Commission first recommended the project in March. The application returned to the commission on June 7 as a precaution after the Virginia Supreme Court voided the county’s modernized zoning ordinance, which threw two years of land use decisions into question.
Following the commission’s original vote, the county and developers tweaked some of the conditions, or proffers, tied to the project. Notable changes to the agreement, which was finalized on April 13, include:
- Four bus shelters as a minimum commitment instead of a maximum
- Clarification that street closures for farmers’ markets or other events must be approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation or Metro
- Agreement not to utilize an existing stormwater management pond on the site that serves the adjacent Pavilion and Village condominiums
- Certain parking garages will accommodate electric vehicle charging infrastructure for 30% of the spaces
- A $350,000 contribution to the county for pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the area, if the developer can’t build the Haycock trail because it’s unable to get necessary VDOT approvals and right-of-way acquisitions
Walsh Colucci lawyer Andrew Painter, who has been representing FGCP-Metro, told the commission at its June 7 hearing that the developers are confident they won’t run into any issues.
“We are assuming all waivers and modifications will be granted, assuming no easements will be necessary,” he said. “That was a conservative design that we developed, and as a result, we are obligated to construct that road within 12 months of the first occupancy permit on the property.”
The redevelopment plan has generally gotten support from the surrounding community, including the three civic associations representing residents immediately adjacent to the site, according to Foust.
Sonya Breehey, an area resident and Northern Virginia advocacy manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, praised the inclusion of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, green spaces and workforce and affordable housing.
“Providing more homes and jobs in walkable communities at a Metro station is how we can accommodate future growth with more sustainable transportation options that help reduce vehicle miles traveled and slash our greenhouse gas emissions,” she told the Board of Supervisors, calling the project “a great opportunity” to create a community that’s “healthy, sustainable and inclusive.”
However, some residents remain concerned about the potential influx of traffic and whether local roads can support the 3.2 million square feet of development planned for the area, including the Falls Church project and a proposed expansion of Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center campus.
Ellison Heights-Mt. Daniel Civic Association president Adrianne Whyte argued that the county and developers are making “incorrect assumptions” about people’s ability to travel in Fairfax County without a car, calling the plan for parking “ludicrous.”
FGCP-Metro hopes to provide 1,053 parking spaces, a 34% reduction from the 1,599 spaces required under the zoning ordinance. While the existing five-level Metro parking garage will remain, the station will lose approximately 700 spots to the development.
“We are stuck with the overdevelopment on the three parcels on Haycock Road that will add thousands of new residents in total to our neighborhood without corresponding infrastructure to support them,” Whyte said. “Can you name another transportation-oriented development of its magnitude on a two-lane road with an already stressed school system?”
Painter disagreed about the Metro development being “over-dense,” noting that it will taper down from the Falls Church and Virginia Tech projects.
Remarking that “some people do want to live a car-free lifestyle,” Breehey urged the county to fund more recommendations from an active transportation study released in December, including a road diet on Haycock and flashing beacons at the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and Virginia Lane crossing.
“These are the types of investments the county should be making to support its transit-oriented development,” instead of funding road widenings, Breehey said.
The board deferred a vote on the parking reduction request to July 11 so the county and developers can work out “some issues…that came up late in the process,” Foust said.
Foust and Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay thanked community members who’ve provided input on the development, going back to a comprehensive plan task force that launched in 2019.
“I do think this will be an outstanding addition to the area,” McKay said. “…Properties adjacent to Metro stations, these are the prime pieces of property in the county, where we can accomplish so many goals, from workforce housing to parks and reductions in vehicle trips and encouraging people to use mass transit, certainly something that is needed with [Metro].”
Code Red Air Quality Alert Today — “A Code Red Air Quality alert has been issued for the D.C. region” as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts through the area. “The Fairfax County Park Authority has canceled many outdoor activities for the day, including summer camps and classes, and outdoor water parks and pools will be closed.” [FFXnow]
Herndon Man Charged With Assault — A 34-year-old man from Herndon “was arrested for abduction and assault stemming from an incident in which he threatened to rape a female acquaintance and prevented her from leaving the residence. Upon being taken into custody by police the following day, he was arrested for assault on a police officer and obstruction of justice” [Herndon Police]
Overhauled Mount Vernon 7-Eleven Nears Reopening — “The newly rebuilt 7-Eleven service station with a quick-food store and fuel pumps, located across from Engleside Plaza shopping center, has a target opening date of Friday, July 7, according to company representatives.” [On the MoVe]
Police Seek Funding for More License Plate Readers — “The Fairfax County Police Department will accept grant moneys, if awarded, to finance the purchase of license-plate-reading (LPR) equipment and explosive-ordnance-disposal robots, following expected authorization June 27 from the Board of Supervisors.” [Gazette Leader]
Lizard Missing for a Week Found in Fairfax City — “A missing bearded dragon was reunited with its owner on Wednesday thanks to the intervention of the City of Fairfax Police. On Tuesday, Officer Emerson trapped the lizard in a city resident’s garden off of Richard Avenue and transported it to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter.” [Patch]
Vienna Resident Appeared on Jeopardy! — “Northern Virginia resident Vic Goel…put his knowledge to the test during Wednesday’s airing of famed quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ Goel, a Vienna resident, is a corporate immigration attorney and legal tech enthusiast, according to his LinkedIn profile. He works as the managing partner at Reston-based Goel & Anderson.” [Inside NoVA]
County Shares Small Business Stories — “From custom cookies and cake pops to handmade furniture and jewelry, there are numerous small-scale production businesses that call Fairfax County home. While supporting local businesses is important year-round, this summer the county will share profiles of home-grown makers to encourage residents to shop small and local through the Made in Fairfax program.” [Fairfax County]
A Spotlight on Dunn Loring Woods — “Since the Kluttzes arrived in the neighborhood, the appeal of its location has deepened. The Mosaic District in Merrifield, just across Interstate 66, has developed into a destination spot for retail and gourmet dining. And the neighborhood has filled with more young families like theirs as some of the original owners have downsized or moved on.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Thursday — Widespread haze. Areas of smoke. Sunny, with a high near 88. Light and variable wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. Southeast wind around 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 9:30 p.m.) A Code Red Air Quality alert has been issued for the D.C. region.
In Fairfax County, conditions are expected to worsen to an air quality index (AQI) rating of 164 tomorrow (Thursday), due primarily to particulate matter drifting down to the U.S. from ongoing wildfires in Canada, according to AirNow’s air quality forecast.
A Code Red — which is a step higher than the Code Orange seen today — “means air quality is unhealthy for everyone in Fairfax County and the region,” the county said in a post on its emergency information blog.
With hundreds of wildfires reportedly blazing in Canada, particularly Quebec and British Columbia, the area’s air quality will likely continue to fluctuate “over the next several days,” the county says.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is encouraging residents to limit their outdoor activities as much as possible.
“If outdoor activities cannot be rescheduled, the EPA recommends limiting time outdoors, taking frequent breaks indoors in places where the air is clean, and choosing a mask that will protect you like an N95,” COG said.
The Fairfax County Park Authority has canceled many outdoor activities for the day, including summer camps and classes, and outdoor water parks and pools will be closed.
The AQI is currently forecast to drop to 84 — a Code Yellow — on Saturday (July 1), according to AirNow, which uses data reported by the Environmental Protection Agency and other local, state and federal government entities.
It doesn’t look like the pollution will quite reach the concentrations seen in early June, when the D.C. area recorded its worst air quality on record as a result of Canadian wildfires.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, three new fires started today, and there are 476 active blazes, about half of which remain out of control. The agency has recorded 2,988 fires in 2023 so far that have burned through 8 million acres of land.
If outdoor activities cannot be rescheduled, the EPA recommends limiting time outdoors, taking frequent breaks indoors in places where the air is clean, and choosing a mask that will protect you like an N95. Learn more: https://t.co/pY6aKkuh0E
— COG (@MWCOG) June 28, 2023
🚨 FCPA outdoor camps, activities, programs, pools, amusements, and facilities are impacted or closed on Thursday, June 29, 2023, due to the “Code Red” air quality alert. Please check the website or call the facility directly for updates before visiting: https://t.co/mv3MG2V0md pic.twitter.com/3eIoZOqkge
— Fairfax County Parks (@fairfaxparks) June 29, 2023
Updated at 2:15 p.m. on 6/29/2023 — The new gym tenant coming to Tysons West appears to be Club Studio Fitness, a new brand recently started by Fitness International, the same company that owns LA Fitness.
Earlier: Another gym appears to be angling for the former 24 Hour Fitness spot in Tysons West.
A lease has been signed for the 48,891-square-foot space on the third floor of 1500 Cornerside Blvd, according to a site plan from retail broker Rappaport.
Christian Kingston, Rappaport’s senior director of leasing and brokerage, told FFXnow that the company had no information it can share at this time. However, a different site plan from Tysons West developer JBG Smith suggests the tenant may be California-based LA Fitness, which is shown in the same building as Walmart and District Taco.
An LA Fitness customer service manager confirmed that the company is working on a Tysons location, but there’s no timeline for when it might open. When asked for further information about the plans for Tysons West, she said the company was “not interested in participating” in a news story.
Fairfax County issued a permit for commercial alterations for a “club studio” at 1500 Cornerside on April 13, and an electrical permit for LA Fitness was issued on May 22.
“Fitness Club Tenant Remodel to include revised lighting layout, new plugs and circuitry for cardio equipment, update fire alarm devices, adding some specialty workout rooms,” the electrical permit says.
LA Fitness has hundreds of locations across the U.S. and Canada, including gyms in Herndon, Springfield and Newington.
After closing on a temporary basis at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 24 Hour Fitness permanently shuttered its Tysons West gym in the summer of 2020. The company filed for bankruptcy that June, shedding 100 locations nationwide.
Three years later, signs for 24 Hour Fitness can still be seen above the door and in the reception area, which was occupied by a desk with computer monitors, refrigerators and a display stand, as of last weekend. It’s unclear whether the furniture was new or leftover from the previous gym, though the main club area looked cleared out.
In other Tysons West news, Walmart is working on a renovation of its nearly 80,000-square-foot store.
“A better Walmart is in the works,” a sign near the customer service desk said. “You may encounter some changes around the store as we build our new pickup and delivery fulfillment center.”
According to a sign outside the store, renovations will be completed in September with a grand re-opening scheduled for Sept. 8.
Hat tip to commenter disqus_3cai4nxGfc
A long-delayed effort to outfit Fairfax County Public Schools’ buses with cameras has officially received the green light from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
At a meeting yesterday (Tuesday), the board unanimously approved an agreement allowing the Fairfax County Police Department to participate in a program that will install 50 bus camera systems to detect drivers who don’t stop when buses are boarding and off-loading students.
Board members emphasized the need for the program amid surging pedestrian fatalities and concerns about student and traffic safety.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said he was extremely dismayed about delays associated with the program.
“This is a long time coming, frankly. It will save lives and equally importantly make the very tough job of our school bus operators a little bit easier with maybe one less thing they have to worry about,” he said.
The project is not expected to go live until 2024.
Failure to stop when a school bus unloads and loads students is prohibited by state law, resulting in a civil fine of $250 for violations. The state passed enabling legislation allowing schools to install video-monitoring systems in 2011.
FCPS staff began exploring the idea of adding cameras to its buses in 2013, prompted by Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, but the Board of Supervisors turned up the heat in February when it approved a motion asking FCPS why a program had not yet been implemented.
Factors in the delay included a need for more state legislation to clarify legal questions regarding the authority of police departments to mail summons to violators and permitting vendors to access Department of Motor Vehicles data.
Talks with a vendor were on hold during the pandemic and when the contact for the vendor left in 2021, the future of the project was unclear. McKay then sent a letter in December 2021 proposing that the program be in place by last summer.
McKay, Foust and others said they had hoped for a more expeditious handling of the proposal.
“It was the legal issues that cost us all the times which is really frustrating because there were different interpretations [of the law],” McKay said.
Virginia school systems with bus stop-arm cameras include Falls Church City, Arlington and Newport News.
FCPS will bear the cost of the program by vendor American Traffic Solutions, Inc.
Drivers of vehicles identified by the bus camera system will receive a summons that requires payment.
The program will expand based on an evaluation of the administrative process and the effectiveness of the traffic calming technology by FCPS and the FCPD.
(Updated at 4:40 p.m. on 6/29/2023) Tysons could have a community center all of its own within the decade.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement yesterday (Tuesday) committing the nonprofit Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) to building the future Tysons Community Center as part of its Dominion Square West housing development near the Spring Hill Metro station.
Located at the base of one of two planned residential high-rises at 1592 Spring Hill Road, the community center will feature a “full-size gymnasium, sensory and recreational spaces, multigenerational and community meeting rooms, fitness rooms, a kitchen, and administrative offices,” along with an outdoor courtyard, county staff said in a summary for the board (page 664).
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, whose district includes the southwestern quadrant of Tysons, trumpted the center as “a big deal” not for future Dominion Square residents, but for the whole area, which he said has “a dearth of public facilities.”
“It’s going to be a major asset,” Alcorn said before the board voted on the agreement. “…I know NCS has been engaging with other communities in the area about programming and how the community center’s going to be a benefit to the broader community, which is just fantastic. I’m a little bit over the moon on this one.”
Under the agreement, APAH will develop the 33,000-square-foot, two-level community center. The property will be owned by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and operated by the county’s Neighborhood and Community Services.
Replacing an auto dealership parking lot, the Dominion Square development will provide 516 units to residents earning 30% to 70% of the area median income. Fairfax County’s AMI for a family of four in 2023 is $152,100, per county staff.
APAH intends to construct both 20-story buildings concurrently, thanks to a $55 million grant from Amazon, which was secured in part by the community center’s inclusion, Alcorn said.
APAH says it anticipates simultaneously starting construction on the northern Building 6 and Building 5 to the south — which contains the community center — in December 2023, putting the overall project on track to be completed in November 2027, as shown in a schedule submitted to the county.
(This article previously cited incorrect dates for the beginning of construction.)
The agreement notes that the schedule is “preliminary and subject to change.” An APAH spokesperson confirmed that the construction timeline hasn’t changed since the schedule was developed on June 6.
Conditions for the community center include a ground-floor entrance at the corner of Boone Blvd and Spring Hill Road separate from the access for residents, along with a designated drop-off area and a courtyard.
It will also get 75 parking spaces reserved for employees and visitors in a planned below-grade garage with 427 spaces total — 65 of them available to either community center users or residents.
During yesterday’s meeting, the board approved a 17.2% reduction from the 516 parking spaces that the county’s zoning ordinance requires for the development.
The county had explored allowing a 29.3% reduction, bringing the number of spaces down to 365, but none of the potential nearby, off-site parking options “penciled out,” according to Alcorn.
“In this part of Tysons anyway, we have the interesting conundrum of an over-abundance of parking, but it’s privately owned and wrapped up in development approvals and sometimes other uses that aren’t fully using those parking spaces,” he said, adding that he and supervisors John Foust (Dranesville) and Dalia Palchik (Providence) are pursuing “some longer-term leads for public parking” in the area.
According to a provided budget, the community center will cost an estimated $38.8 million, over $34 million of which is for construction.
President Snarls Traffic on Capital Beltway — “Virginia State Police shut down the Inner Loop of the Beltway just before the American Legion Bridge in McLean, causing miles of delays toward Tysons Corner during rush hour Tuesday.” The highway was closed at Georgetown Pike for President Joe Biden’s motorcade, which was driving to a campaign event in Chevy Chase. [NBC4]
Air Quality Alert Issued for Region — “Canadian wildfire smoke…that enveloped Chicago and much of the Midwest” yesterday will descend on the D.C. area today (Wednesday), prompting the issuance of a Code Orange air quality alert. Sensitive groups could feel health impacts from being outside, but conditions aren’t expected to worsen to the Code Maroon seen earlier this month. [ARLnow]
School Board Approves Equity Policy — The Fairfax County school board approved a policy on Monday (June 26) that “defines terms including bias, diversity, equity, cultural responsiveness and inclusion, and it outlines priorities such as distributing funds on the basis of student need, recruiting a diverse staff and ensuring that all students have access to high-quality facilities.” [The Washington Post]
Richmond Highway BRT Gets Toll Funding — “Fairfax County’s Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will receive a $10 million funding boost in the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.” The money comes from I-395/I-95 toll revenues, with a second round of $10 million anticipated next year to fill the Fairfax County Department of Transportation’s full request. [On the MoVe]
Reston Startup Will Assist Flying Vehicles — “TruWeather Solutions has raised $5.3 million, a big chunk of a $7 million Series A funding goal, as part of its bet on more vehicles, manned or not, taking to the skies in the coming years.” Backers of the company, which “gives weather predictions and logistics data,” include “Supernal, a U.S. tech innovation arm of Hyundai Motor Group that’s working to develop an electric takeoff and landing vehicle.” [DC Inno]
Local Teen Saves Grandmother With CPR — “14-year-old Andy Campos awoke to a nightmare on May 15. His family members were frantic as his grandmother Angela Campos had passed out on the floor. She was having a heart attack. Andy knew exactly what to do. The week before, he’d taken a CPR class at Marshall High School.” [DC News Now]
Get Ready to Register for Child Care — “Registration for Fairfax County’s School Age Child Care program for the 2024-25 school year will open on July 11, 2023. The SACC program…offers before- and after-school care for children attending kindergarten through sixth grade in most Fairfax County public elementary schools and several community centers.” Registration for 2023-2024 is already underway. [Neighborhood and Community Services]
Herndon Restaurant a Favorite of WaPo Food Critic — Tom Sietsema lists Anatolian Bistro as one of his six favorite places to eat right now, lauding the Worldgate Centre restaurant as “tasteful.” “One bite into the manti, and I’m mentally thanking the reader who suggested I check out this Turkish escape in Herndon,” he says. [The Washington Post]
It’s Wednesday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 10 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
After failing to materialize yesterday, stormy weather showed up in force around the D.C. region this afternoon (Tuesday).
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Fairfax County and the rest of the area for around 2:11-3 p.m. The National Weather Service reported that the east-moving storm had reached the Oakton and Vienna area around 2:09 p.m., bringing 60-mph wind gusts and hail the size of quarters, according to Fairfax County.
“Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches to fall,” the county’s emergency information blog said. “This could injure those outdoors, as well as damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by downed trees. Localized power outages are possible. Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.”
As of 3 p.m., about 2,826 people in Fairfax County and Fairfax City have lost power, according to Dominion Energy.
Per the utility company’s outage map, the largest individual outages appear to be along Fairfax Blvd, where 914 customers are without power, and in Great Falls, where 509 customers are affected.
The Fairfax outage stems from an out circuit and is expected to be restored between 5-8 p.m. Dominion estimates a restoration time of 6-9 p.m. for the Great Falls outage, which is directly attributed to the storm.
In Tysons, downed trees were reportedly blocking the ramp from eastbound Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) to northbound Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road), according to the NWS.
Hail was confirmed in Reston by resident Robyn Matthews, but the storm moved relatively quickly, prompting the NWS to let the warning expire on time at 3 p.m.
“The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property,” a 2:51 p.m. update said. “Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However gusty winds and heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm.”
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Washington DC, Arlington VA and Alexandria VA until 3:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/yIwOq9WR4E
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) June 27, 2023
At 2:25 PM EDT, Tysons Corner [Fairfax Co, VA] Broadcast Media reports Tstm Wnd Dmg. The ramp from eastbound VA-7 Leesburg Pike to northbound VA-123 Chain Bridge Road was blocked by downed trees. https://t.co/6fPcuWCyU4 pic.twitter.com/e9iAfmMCCv
— IEMBot LWX (@iembot_lwx) June 27, 2023
Small hail and strong wind in Reston pic.twitter.com/9gRQCqlsN0
— Robyn Matthews (@robyndmatthews) June 27, 2023
