Helene Remnants Bring Thunderstorms To NoVA; Tornado Risk In SE VA

VIRGINIA — As Hurricane Helene moves north through Georgia Friday morning, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected for much of the Baltimore-Washington region throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service.

A coastal warning for Arlington, Falls Church and Alexandria is in effect from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, according to the weather service. And parts of southeastern Virginia are under a tornado threat.

“Up to one half foot of inundation above ground level expected in low lying areas due to tidal flooding,” the forecast says. “Water is expected to approach the curb near the intersection of King Street and Strand Street in Alexandria."

Helene sat over Kentucky and Tennessee Friday morning and remnants of the storm will bring rain showers with the possibility of thunderstorms and heavier downpours over the coming days.

"Some showers will reach Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and perhaps New York City, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., but not Boston, and probably not Buffalo, New York," Accuweather said. "Along the mid-Atlantic coast to part of the central Appalachians, the moisture may be more in the form of drizzle and intermittent light rain."

A tornado watch is in place until 6 p.m. for Prince Edward, Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, along with Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg, the National Weather Service said.

Patchy fog is expected to dissipate before 11 a.m, with showers and possible thunderstorms forming after 3 p.m. across Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. capital region, according to NWS. The wind will come out of the east at 7 to 14 mph, gusts high as 26 mph may occur. The high temperature will be 76.

Related: 5 Dead, 1M Without Power As Hurricane Helene Makes Landfall

Showers and possible thunderstorms will continue into Friday night, mostly before midnight, followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms in Northern Virginia, according to the weather report. Expect patchy fog overnight and into the morning hours.

The thermometer will drop to around 69 degrees Friday night and the east wind will be 9 to 15 mph. Rainfall totals will be between a tenth and quarter of an inch, but thunderstorms will bring higher amounts of precipitation.

Virginia remains under a state of emergency, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared on Wednesday evening ahead of Hurricane Helene making landfall on Florida’s gulf coast.

Related: State Of Emergency Declared In VA Ahead Of Hurricane Helene

Communities across Florida waited for daylight to begin assessing the damage caused overnight by Helene’s catastrophic storm surge and strong winds. One death in Florida when a sign fell on a car — plus four more in Georgia and the Carolinas — were attributed to the storm when it was Category 4 strength; power outages have topped 4 million across the Southeast.

Here is the National Weather Service's seven-day outlook for the Baltimore-Washington region:

• Saturday: Isolated showers after 2pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Saturday Night: Scattered showers, mainly after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
• Sunday: Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. East wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11pm, then showers likely between 11pm and 2am, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
• Monday: Showers. High near 74. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
• Monday Night: Showers, mainly before 2am. Low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
• Tuesday: Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Tuesday Night: Showers likely before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 74.