Only days after the ground shook beneath their feet, Washington area residents are being asked to prepare for a major hurricane that’s hurtling toward them. The governors of Virginia and Maryland declared states of emergencies on Thursday ahead of Hurricane Irene, joining New York, New Jersey and North Carolina. The move lays the groundwork for federal funding that could help fix damage caused by winds National Weather Service forecasters expect to be sustained at 115 mph upon landfall, and flooding caused by potential storm surges and an expected 5 to 10 inches of rain. The weather service put the Washington region and much of the East Coast under a tropical storm watch Thursday evening.
“Over the last 24 hours, a number of weather models have shifted the forecasted track of Irene slightly to the west, increasing the potential for inclement weather and potentially dangerous conditions in portions of Virginia,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said on Thursday. “At this time, I encourage all Virginians to gather items they may need this weekend in case of power outages and disruptions in public services and to make sure their family members and friends are also prepared for this storm.”
| Get ready |
| — Purchase: batteries, flashlight, radio, bottled water, nonperishable food. |
| — If in a low-lying area, move to higher ground. |
| — Check that property insurance covers flooding. |
| — Prepare an evacuation plan. |
| — If you have travel plans, check that flights, trains, or buses are on schedule. (Amtrak is already cutting some service and some airlines are as well.) |
| Source: www.ready.gov (FEMA) |
| MLK dedication marches on |
| A planned weekend dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall has been postponed until September or October as approaching Hurricane Irene dashed hopes of paying tribute to the late civil rights activist on the 48th anniversary of his “I Have a Dream” speech, organizers said Thursday. Executive architect Ed Jackson Jr. said that the hurricane bearing down on the East Coast had forced the postponement of the dedication originally planned for 11 a.m. Sunday. President Obama was set to be one of the scheduled speakers beside the King sculpture erected on a 4-acre site in the nation’s capital. |
A mandatory evacuation of Ocean City was called for by midnight Friday. The Virginia county that borders Ocean City has called for a voluntary evacuation.
The worst of the storm is predicted to remain east of Washington, but the city and surrounding areas can expect sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph, and 4 to 8 inches of rain, said Brian Edwards, a meteorologist with the privately run company AccuWeather. The storm will likely hit the area between 8 and 10 p.m. Saturday and could last into Sunday afternoon.
“It will be some of the worst weather that I can remember,” Edwards said. “We’re anticipating high winds, widespread power outages, trees coming down and rapidly rising streams and creeks.”
The District has begun handing out sandbags — five at a time — to residents. The power utility Pepco says it has already received extra trucks and hands from utility companies not in the storm’s path. Dominion Virginia Power isn’t asking for help yet, but says it will if necessary. Metro is putting 2,000 sandbags around stations that are prone to flooding and distributing chain saws to employees to help remove fallen trees from the tracks. The U.S. Navy has ordered its ships out of Norfolk to safer waters, and the U.S. Coast Guard is asking boaters to move away from the coast and farther inland.
Home Depots across the region have switched to disaster plans, putting batteries, water, generators and plywood at the front of stores and increasing supplies, a spokesman said. Grocers such as Giant and Safeway are putting generators in place so they can keep milk cold and keep their stores open as long as possible, representatives said.
The National Zoo is ready, too — to protect its residents.
“We have protocols in place and we will follow them,” a zoo spokeswoman said.
