Severe Weather Turns Washington, DC, Metro Station Into a Waterfall

— -- A powerful storm struck the nation's capital Tuesday afternoon, pummeling the region with rain, hail and even flooding an underground Metro station.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority was forced to shut down Cleveland Park Metro station around 7 p.m. because of the severe flooding.

Dramatic photos show water rushing down the escalators as passengers made their way up to exit.

Josh Stanton decided to poke fun at the situation, posting a photo of a wet floor sign surrounded by floodwater.

By 8:30 p.m. trains were no longer skipping the Cleveland Park Metro stop after bypassing the station for more than an hour.

Residents also posted pictures of downed trees as tens of thousands were left without power in Northern Virginia, Washington and Maryland.

Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.