Washington DC has a month's rain in 1 hour

The Washington, DC region received a month's worth of rain in one hour Monday, leading to the most severe flooding in the area in recent years, The Washington Post reported.

The climate crisis has led to an uptick in extreme downpours, since warmer air can hold more moisture, according to the National Climate Assessment. Meteorologist Alex Lamers said that Monday's downpour had a less than 1 percent chance of occurring in a given year.

In total, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport recorded 3.3 inches of rainfall between 9 and 10 a.m. and 3.44 inches total, according to The Washington Post. That number broke DC's total rainfall record for the date, which was previously set at 2.16 inches. Other areas that recorded high rainfall totals included North Potomac, Maryland with 5.55 inches, Gaithersburg, Maryland with 4.64 inches, Oakton, Virginia with 4.93 inches and Arlington, Virginia's Westover neighborhood with 4.5 inches.


The deluge delayed flights and trains, including six Amtrak trains stopped "due to flooding/washout conditions," Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams told CNN.


The flooding was also a danger for commuters, closing several roads in downtown DC and surrounding areas and prompting multiple water rescues, AccuWeather reported.


One commuter posted a video to Twitter after driving through a flooded Virginia Avenue Tunnel.

"You're going to need a boat," they warned other commuters.

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