Maryland Agencies Standing By For Hurricane Florence
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Local agencies are standing by to go wherever Hurricane Florence hits hardest.
Maryland is a top priority if Hurricane Florence does damage here, the Red Cross and the National Guard are ready to go.
But if the hurricane misses Maryland, they could be called south to help the Carolinas. So, the vans are loaded, no matter what.
"We're mostly concerned about some areas on the eastern shore, so we're prepositioning supplies there," said Erica Richardson, American Red Cross.
If storm spin-off washes out parts of Maryland, local volunteers will stay local. The American Red Cross has already stationed supplies across the state and is in the process of opening emergency shelters.
But, if the monster storm continues to shift south, resources could be Carolina-bound.
"It's the blood on the shelves right now that will be deployed and used in these emergency situations.
"We are in full preparedness mode," said Regina Booth-Bratton, American Red Cross.
For now, they are waiting for Florence to pick her target as she churns closer to the east coast.
The Maryland National Guard could also be called to cross state lines, but more than likely, the 300 troops activated Wednesday will stay in the state.
"What we do is work with MEMA and they highlight the areas that see flooding," said Major General Linda Singh from Maryland.
Maryland Task Force packed up and rolled out Wednesday, already racing against the rain.
They left Montgomery County with trailers of boats and ATVs, ready to search and rescue in South Carolina if Florence does her worst.
Only hours will tell who else will follow them to the front lines and what they'll witness.
The Red Cross said they expect that as many as 100,000 people may need shelter, across many including Maryland.
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