Maryland Newsline

Utilities, Md. Officials Prepare for Hurricane Earl

By Karen Carmichael and Justin Karp
Maryland Newsline
Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Utility companies and officials throughout the region are preparing for Hurricane Earl, which is expected to kick up strong winds along the coast of Maryland Thursday night and Friday, potentially knocking down power lines and causing some flooding.

 

Although meteorologists said the eye of the hurricane is expected about 100 miles off the Maryland coast, coastal residents could see heavy showers and winds gusting between 39 and 74 miles per hour, said Meteorologist Harvey Thurm of the National Weather Service.

 

“We expect conditions to deteriorate rapidly,” said Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, in a telephone news conference Thursday.

 

A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were in effect for inland Worcester County and the Maryland beaches. Coastal flood watches and advisories were in effect for St. Mary's, Charles, Calvert, Harford, Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties, as well as for southern Baltimore.

 

Water levels in Ocean City, Md., could rise above normal levels, Thurm said. “You want to take your car away from areas that have traditionally flooded before,” he said.

 

But because it is expected to be a fast-moving storm, "we're still welcoming visitors for the Labor Day weekend" in Ocean City, Md., said Donna Abbott, communications manager.

 

Lt. Ward Kovacs of the Ocean City Beach Patrol said all swimmers had been ordered out of the water Thursday except for experienced surfers and body boarders. "If the surfers can get a surf board out through that surf, they generally know what they're doing. ... They'll be OK," he said.

 

Abbott said once the weather clears, beach patrol will decide, based on the conditions, any restrictions on ocean access.

Although the impact is expected to be minimal inland, Maryland residents should keep checking the forecast, said Heather Sheffield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office. “The slightest move to the left could impact our area,” she said.

 

A coastal flood watch is in effect around the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River. The storm surge is currently predicted for 3 to 6 feet, said Donna Franklin, a public affairs officer with the National Hurricane Center.

 

“Boaters should definitely take caution,” Sheffield said.

 

In downtown Annapolis, an area likely to feel the storm's effects, local officials were combating the threat with 1,400 sandbags, some of which have already been distributed by the Department of Public Works.

 

The U.S. Naval Academy is also armed with sandbags and barriers and is keeping an eye on both the storm and specific areas especially prone to flooding, said Deborah Goode, an academy spokeswoman.

 

However, local business owners, who are no strangers to flooding, aren't panicking.

 

"Whatever happens, happens," said Michael O'Brien, owner of Pip's Dock Street Dogs, which specializes in all things hot dog. "But it won't be as bad as (Hurricane) Isabel."

 

When Hurricane Isabel hit Maryland in 2003, the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River Basin saw storm surges 6 to 8 feet higher than usual.

 

For this storm, the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, which covers Charles, St. Mary’s, Calvert and parts of Prince George’s counties, will have 10 extra crews available in case of outages. SMECO spokesman Tom Dennison said a storm with sustained winds over 35 miles an hour has the potential to cause major damage.

 

“That’s where we have a lot more trees that could come down, and a lot more potential for major damage,” Dennison said.

 

PEPCO spokesman Clay Anderson said the utility doesn't expect any major service interruptions in the District of Columbia and surrounding counties. Anderson said the major technical issues that plagued PEPCO during last month’s storms, including delayed service response times and inaccurate power restoration estimates, have been corrected.

 

But the utilities were urging customers to prepare, just in case their service is interrupted by the storm.

 

They recommend putting together an emergency kit in case of an outage, which should include flashlights, batteries, a portable radio and enough water to last for several days.

 

People should also secure lawn and deck furniture, trash cans and other outdoor objects, Thurm said.

 

“If the wind blows at 70 miles per hour, that could become a dangerous projectile and break windows,” he said.

 

The Home Depot stores along the hurricane's route were in "preparation mode," said Jen King, spokeswoman from Home Depot’s corporate office. The stores were stocking up on things like tarps, generators, water, flashlights, batteries and gas cans, said King. “We are doing the best we can to make sure the stores have what they need. ... Trucks are going to the affected areas now to make sure they have plenty of products.”

 

Insurance companies were urging customers to have an evacuation plan in place at home, and to review the plans outlined for work and school. In addition, they reminded people to keep an inventory of all property and their estimated costs, said Kate Clapper, public affairs specialist for State Farm Insurance.

Beth Gismondi, insurance agent and flood insurance expert for Allstate Insurance Co. in Ocean City, said hurricane kits should include all important documents such as birth certificates and identification cards. And photos should be placed in a plastic container with a lid, she said.

 

"You can't replace old photos," she said.

Maryland Newsline's Rabiah Burks, Tami Le and Ilana Yergin, Capital News Service's Nicole Dao, Lindsay Powers and Jon Aerts and CNS-TV's Danielle Lama and Tori Kramer contributed to this report.

 

 

View Hurricane Earl's Expected Path in a larger map