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A group of six to eight hikers was rescued from Scott’s Run Nature Preserve after a powerful thunderstorm caused the creek to rise rapidly on July 14, 2025.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department crews, including swift-water rescue units, were dispatched to the Georgetown Pike park around 6:23 p.m. The hikers had been walking through the preserve when rising water blocked their route back.

Rescuers reached the group without difficulty, and department spokesperson Ashley Hildebrandt confirmed at 7:18 p.m. that everyone was safe.

The department also responded to several other water rescues, including incidents involving people stranded in vehicles. Crews investigated a couple of reported lightning strikes, but no significant problems had been identified.

The storm snarled traffic around Georgetown Pike and Interstate 495. Downed lines closed Georgetown Pike between the Capital Beltway and Swinks Mill Road, while standing water caused additional delays.

Route 50, also known as Arlington Boulevard, was closed between Cedar Lane and Prosperity Avenue in Merrifield after high water spilled from Long Branch. The Virginia Department of Transportation urged motorists not to enter flooded roads and advised reporting flooding online or at 800-FOR-ROAD.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning shortly before 6 p.m. for an area that included Fairfax County, northwestern Arlington County, northwestern Washington, D.C., and southern Montgomery County.

By 5:45 p.m., between 1.5 and 2 inches of rain had fallen, with rainfall rates expected to reach 2 to 3 inches per hour. Another 1 to 2 inches was possible.

At 6:05 p.m., the warning’s threat level was raised to “considerable,” indicating potentially life-threatening flash flooding. The warning covered communities including McLean, Tysons Corner, Vienna, Pimmit Hills, Oakton, Wolf Trap and Great Falls, as well as locations elsewhere in Northern Virginia, Washington and Maryland.

Residents were advised to move to higher ground and avoid unnecessary travel. The flash flood warning was scheduled to remain in effect until 8:45 p.m., while a regional flood watch continued until midnight.

More than 2,100 Dominion Energy customers were without power during the storm, although it was unclear how many outages were directly related to the severe weather.