Potomac Rises To Scary Level At Great Falls (Video)

GREAT FALLS, VA—The strong currents around Great Falls Park make recreational activities for even trained kayakers dangerous under normal circumstances. But Thursday's rainstorm dumped around 1.70 inches of precipitation in the McLean area, it's a whole different ball game.

A video posted by Great Falls Park shows the rapidly-moving water rising to scary levels at one of the overlooks. The national park remains open, but flooding may cause parts of some trails or overlooks to close at times, the website states. Visitors should use caution and avoid flooded areas when using the trails.

Scroll down to see a video of the intense flow of water.

It's not the first time Great Falls looked this way in 2018, due to a summer with significant rainfall. The DC region is seeing an above-average year of rainfall, beating out rainy cities like Seattle.

The river is at higher levels than usual, prompting a word of caution from forecasters. Areas by the Potomac River at Little Falls—in Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Montgomery County, Md.—are under a flood warning Friday through Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service. One report indicates the C&O canal overflowed at Great Falls Tavern, and water is covering the towpath in many areas.

Forecasters expect the river to rise above flood stage (10 feet) overnight and reach up to 11.9 feet early Saturday evening. The river will fall below flood stage again by Sunday afternoon.

Image via Emily Leayman/Patch