BELTWAY BONEHEADS

What happens when rain knocks out a few traffic lights in downtown Washington? Thousands of commuters are stranded for hours. And what would happen if al-Qaeda managed to explode a dirty bomb in the center of the city, sparking a mass exodus to the suburbs? Area homeland security and transportation experts can really only guess. -- Washington Post Editorial, June 29, 2006

As hundreds of thousands of Washington area residents are expected to begin pouring out of town today for the holiday weekend, transportation officials are warning drivers to remain cautious on secondary roads after this week's record-setting rains. -- By Mike Rupert, June 302, 006; The Examiner

Tuesday's commute started out markedly better than the rain-soaked mess on Monday, but continued downpours caused scattered problems with road closures and standing water on highways. -- By Steven Ginsberg, Steve Vogel and Debbi Wilgoren, June 27, 2006; Washington Post

Weekend torrential rains flooded rail lines and forced road closures today throughout the Washington area, prompting the federal government to offer workers unscheduled leave in an effort to alleviate a slow, treacherous commute. This morning, major commuter delays developed as a result of a mudslide that dumped six feet of slick debris near the intersection of the Capital Beltway and Telegraph Road and because of underground flooding that shuttered two downtown Metrorail stations. A flood watch remains in effect for the Washington area through Tuesday evening, with numerous showers and thunderstorms expected later today and tomorrow. -- By Daniela Deane and Debbi Wilgoren, June 26, 2006; Washington Post

The Beltway in northern Virginia is closed at Telegraph Road in Alexandria due to flooding. Heavy rains Sunday night led to Cameron Run rising over the bridge that crosses over it. Officials initially said they were concerned with the structural integrity of the roadway. But a VDOT spokesperson later said that did not seem to be the case. -- June 26, 2006; NBC4 TV News