Floods’n’fires: DC underwater, California continues to choke on wildfire smoke as apocalyptic weather continues (VIDEOS)

The apocalyptic weather besetting the US on all sides continues, with wildfires causing multiple fatalities and major evacuations as the capital Washington DC experienced flash flooding.

Torrential downpours left dozens of drivers stranded on Thursday, with many opting to abandon their vehicles on the roadside as others needed rescue by the authorities.

Route 50, one of the busiest sections of road in the DC metropolitan area, the country’s sixth largest metropolitan area, was completely submerged under several feet of water and rendered impassable.

Crews launched inflatable boats to rescue drivers across the state, conducting vehicle-by-vehicle searches.

Train services were temporarily shut down, with at least one passenger service left stranded on the tracks for roughly two hours before returning to its point of departure in DC. 

“I want to take this time to urge everybody, please turn around, don’t drown,” DC Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said after at least five inches of rain had fallen in the area by early afternoon Thursday. 

Meteorologist Chuck Bell believes the storm which forced a sudden and precipitous 15-degree Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit) drop in temperatures in the Denver, Colorado area was likely responsible for the flooding. 

Meanwhile, on the west coast of the US, seven bodies were discovered in northern California on Thursday as wildfires continued their rampage through the state, turning the skies an apocalyptic orange. 

The total number of confirmed California wildfire victims now stands at 10 fatalities, while at least five others have been killed in Washington State and Oregon fires.

An army of 14,000 firefighters are battling 28 fires across the Golden State, with varying degrees of success. 

The North Complex Fire has burned through 250,000 acres and was just 24 percent contained as of Thursday morning.

The Riverside Fire in Mount Hood National Forest. © National Interagency Fire Center

Meanwhile, the Creek Fire has consumed over 360 buildings, expanding to over 166,000 acres and is 0 percent contained. Some 30,000 people have been evacuated due to the fires. 

More than 100 wildfires across 12 Western states have burned over 4.4 million acres, an area roughly the size of New Jersey.

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