Update 1:30 p.m. Monday: Between 13,000 and 11,000 Dominion customers in Alexandria remain without power 

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Update 7:10 p.m. Sunday: All Alexandria City Public Schools are closed on Monday. Only essential employees should report to work, according to a statement from ACPS sent this evening.

What's Postponed, What's Not...

The Campagna Center Summer Programs and all Campagna Center Early Childhood Programs have been postponed. This includes Summer Safari, Early Learning Center, Early Head Start program, and Building Better Futures.

Registration for Higher Achievement activities and Adult Education program registration is also postponed. 

The Alexandria City School Board organizational meeting is still scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday. The agenda is posted here.

ACPS Summer School will still start on Monday, July 9.  

Update Sunday 2 p.m.:

As of 2 p.m., more than 24,000 Dominion Power customers are still without power in Alexandria, according to the company Web site.

The City of Alexandria is continuing to recover from the severe storms that caused thousands of power outages and brought down trees throughout the City on Friday. City crews will be collecting tree debris from the curb and public rights-of-way over the next week.

The City is temporarily relaxing some of its normal requirements for removal of tree debris on private property. Residents removing tree debris on their property should place tree limbs and debris at the curb, and if possible, cut them down to pieces that you, as a homeowner, can safely take to the curb for collection. Residents are encouraged to use care when removing large trees that have fallen on their property.  If a professional tree removal contractor is hired, they should to remove all debris from the site.

If you are discarding food as a result of an extended power outage, please remember that trash and recycling will be collected on a normal schedule during the week of July 2, including the Independence Day Holiday on July 4.

For more information, call 703.746.HELP or visit www.alexandriava.gov/Storm.

Update Saturday 6:30 p.m.

The state of Virginia reports that in Alexandria, one hospital, five nursing homes and one assisted living center are all operating on generator power. Specific names of the businesses were not given.

Update Saturday 6 p.m.:

The Alexandria Aces were under cover Friday night during the storm, as it started to rain in the ninth inning of their game against the Herndon Braves.  

The visitors' dugout roof, which ended up on the Herndon High School football field, was blown off by a micro-burst wind sheer, and the top part of the cinder block wall of the dugout was broken, according to Patrick Malone, executive director, Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League.

Pitcher Shelby Dixon (Transylvania) was taken by Aces Head Coach Corey Haines to the emergency room at the Reston Hospital Center, right after the incident on the field. Thankfully Shelby's OK, with no broken bones or serious injury to him, or any other Aces or Braves players, coaches, staff or fans.

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A surprisingly strong storm swept through Alexandria Friday night, leaving thousands without power and air conditioning on what could be one of the hottest days of the year to date.

Much of Old Town was up and running by 7 a.m. Saturday with power restored to most major intersections and businesses. There was little evidence of flooding and few tree limbs down.

Del Ray was in worse shape this morning, with most residents out of power and several roads blocked. 

The high temperature today will reach 99 with a heat index of 105. There is a chance for thunderstorms this afternoon, but they are not expected to be nearly as severe as they were Friday night. Temperatures will cool into the upper 70s tonight. 

The Derecho of June 2012

According to some local meterologists, Friday night's storm may have been a "derecho."

A derecho is "widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to that of tornadoes, the damage typically is directed in one direction along a relatively straight swath. As a result, the term 'straight-line wind damage" sometimes is used to describe derecho damage,'" according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Report Power Outages

The following is a message from the City of Alexandria: 

If your power is out, please report it to Dominion Virginia Power by calling 866-DOM-HELP (866-366-4357), or by visiting the Dominion Storm Center.  Don't assume that Dominion knows about your outage already.

Please do not call 911 to report a power outage unless it involves a life-threatening emergency.

Take time to plan for the possibility of being without power for an extended period of time, particularly given this weekend's forecast for extreme heat.  Please check on your neighbors who may need a little extra help.  Although tonight's storm was not a hurricane, similar precautions apply.  For detailed information on post-storm cleanup, health, and safety, see the links at the bottom of alexandriava.gov/Hurricane.

Dangerously Hot Weather This Weekend

Today is expected to be dangerously hot — even more so as thousands go without air conditioning while Dominion Virginia Power crews work to restore power. More than 450,000 are without power across Northern Virginia right now. 

Dominion Power representatives said it "could be days" before power is fully restored to all customers. 

Local Pools

Warwick Pool, located at 3301 Landover Street, is open noon to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Admission fees are listed here.

Old Town Pool, located at 1609 Cameron Street, is open from noon to 7 p.m. Admission fees are listed here.

Other Places

Make a visit to Duncan Branch Library or Mount Vernon Recreation Center, both located on Commonwealth Avenue.

Movies start at 11 a.m. at the Regal Potomac Yard 16 movie theater.

Heat Tips

• If you don’t have air conditioning, go somewhere that has it. If you have to, try to stay on the lowest floor of a building and stay out of the sun.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated—a key component to keeping yourself cool.
• Dress in light colored, lightweight clothes.
• Try to spend the hottest part of the day in an air-conditioned location, such as your local library, movie theater or mall.
• Check on your elderly neighbors, who are more susceptible to heat-related health problems.
• Even with shade and water, it’s just too hot for your animals to be outside.
• Double Dog Dare blogger Ariel Leath has some information on how to help your dogs in the hot weather.