National Park Service closes Hains Point due to ‘potential for flooding’

Following a stretch of heavy rain this past weekend, federal officials have closed Hains Point at the southern tip of East Potomac Park—a popular venue for picnicking, exercising, and watching planes take off and land at nearby Reagan National Airport—“until further notice.”

On Monday, the National Park Service said in a tweet that “high water and the potential for flooding” was the reason for the closure. It’s unclear when the area will reopen, particularly as forecasts for Hurricane Florence show the storm intensifying as it heads toward the East Coast and likely to drop multiple inches of rain on the mid-Atlantic region in just a few days.

Photos posted on Twitter on Sunday by WJLA reporter Victoria Sanchez depict water at the height of a bench at Hains Point and encroaching on the parkland. Authorities responded.

East Potomac Park is not the only place in the District where the recent rainfall has caused water to rise. Parts of the area around the Tidal Basin have also been inundated with water.

• Hurricane Florence intensifies to Category 4, continues to strengthen on path to East Coast [Washington Post]
• Florence Now a Major Category 4 Hurricane; Destructive Strike Likely on Southeast Coast [Weather Channel]