Flooding Strands Four Vehicles in Germantown Region

Montgomery County Fire & Rescue workers were dispatched to four separate reports of vehicles stranded in standing water in the Germantown region between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

There were no reports of injuries and in all but one case occupants were able to free themselves, said Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesman Cpt. Oscar Garcia.

At around 6 p.m., fire and rescue personnel responded to a water rescue at Clopper Road and Great Seneca Highway, where the standing water was as high as the bottom of a passenger vehicle, Garcia said. Because the adult male occupant had mobility issues, emergency workers had to use a floatation device to free the man, Garcia said.

Garcia said the man was examined at the scene but declined medical treatment.

At around 6:10 p.m., fire and rescue workers responded to another report of a stranded vehicle in standing water at Schaeffer Road, near White Ground Road, Garcia said.

But by the time rescue workers arrived, the two adult males inside the vehicle had freed themselves and were being assisted by bystanders, Garcia said.

There was also a report of a stranded vehicle in at Gibbs Elementary School, at 12615 Royal Crown Drive, in Clarksburg, in which case, Garcia said, the vehicle’s two occupants had already freed themselves and the waters had receded by the time fire and rescue personnel arrived.

Garcia said there was an additional report of a stranded vehicle at Father Hurley Boulevard, near Waterford Hills Boulevard, in Germantown. The driver had self-extricated by the time fire and rescue personnel arrived, Garcia said.

The National Weather Service had issued a flood warning for Montgomery County, as a band of persistent rain moves throughout the area, causing streams and rivers to swell.

State police, fire and rescue workers and the State Highway Administration has warned people to avoid driving through standing water and advise that heavy rains increased the likelihood of hydroplaning and other hazards.

Garcia said particular areas of concern in Germantown were along Clopper Road, near Seneca Creek and in the 1400 block.

Check the Maryland Emergency Management Agency website for updates.