Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 5.0
Workload; Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Company Policy; Human Factors; Manuals; Weather
I was training a trainee. Traffic was steady moderate for the first 30 minutes and then the sector became overloaded. I took over as the D-side (Assist) and Management called in an L-side (Extra Monitor) as well. There was weather west of our airspace moving eastward and we had deviations all over with adjacent sector routes now being forced through our sector. We consistently had a page of aircraft on the EDST (Enroute Decision Support Tool) with 54 in the ACL (Aircraft List) at its peak. At one point we had 2 other CPC's watching the scope and helping. This whole scenario was beyond safe. The sector was out of control and should have never been put in this situation to begin with. Unacceptable! TMU (Traffic Management Unit) and Management need to be more proactive. Instead of reacting; let's start slowing things down sooner and if it's not needed; we can reevaluate. Waiting until something like this happens is unacceptable.
ZDC Center Controller reported working an overloaded sector with weather deviations due to lack of traffic flow restrictions was unsafe.