Ida Remnants: Sandbags To Be Available In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Sandbags will be made available to City of Alexandria residents Tuesday as Tropical Storm Ida remnants could potentially bring flooding Wednesday.

Sandbags will be available at 133 S. Quaker Lane from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday. The limit is five sandbags per address with proof of residency. Sandbags are first come, first served. Residents are asked to wear a mask.

According to the city's Transportation and Environmental Services, coastal and river flooding are possible from remnants of Ida. According to the National Hurricane Center, Ida is now classified as a tropical storm after making landfall as a hurricane in Louisiana Sunday. The remnants could affect the DC region Wednesday into Thursday.

The National Weather Service's Baltimore-Washington Office issued a flash flood watch from Wednesday morning through early Thursday morning. Forecasters say Ida remants could cause a "prolonged period of heavy rainfall" starting Wednesday morning into the night. The NWS expects rainfall between 2 and 4 inches with localized amounts up 6 inches possible.

Sandbags, when set up properly, are a strategy to prevent or reduce damage from flooding. The city has tips for using sandbags on its website.

Sandbags distributed by the city can be returned to the pickup location or saved for future use.