Baltimore Co. Officials Doing What They Can To Prepare For Hurricane Florence Impact
BALTIMORE CO., Md. (WJZ) -- Baltimore County first responders are racing against the forecast as they prepare for possible flooding.
They are preparing for the flooding that Hurricane Florence may bring as she spins into the East Coast.
There are several streets that could wash out if Hurricane Florence brings heavy rain.
Before that happens, first responders are doing things like positioning boats around the county to stay one step ahead of possible flooding.
Outside, it's the calm before the storm, while inside, it's the chaos of gearing up for an unpredictable weather pattern about to hit Baltimore County.
The now Category 2 hurricane is slamming the Carolinas, and spinning Maryland into what may be days of storms.
"These things come up in a hurry, and we need to be prepared," said Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler.
Prepared for a potential domino effect of disaster.
Annapolis has ended an internatinoal boat race being held in the city a day early due to the concern for Florence.
"We've raced in far worse than what they are predicting tomorrow," said Doug Davis, a sailer from Jackson, Missouri.
Davis is more upset about all the flooding over the past several days.
"We lived in wet shoes for three days," Davis said.
County leaders say rain and wind could push water into streets and homes, bring down trees, and with them, power lines.
Especially with the ground saturated and storm drains already taxed by a soggy summer.
"I'm really worried," said John Heinz, chief of the Community Volunteer Fire Department of Bowleys Quarters. "If the wind starts getting up there, whether or not the root structure of these trees can handle it, because the ground is just soaked."
While the pavement is still dry, Heinz says firefighters are staging for a possible surge of water. Lining up gear and scattering boats around the county.
"It doesn't take much for one of these cars to float away," he added.
And firefighters saw just that back in 2003, when Hurricane Isabel drowned Bowley's Quarter under 10 feet of water.
Even as the latest storm shifts away from doing that kind of damage, County Executive Mohler isn't writing off Florence quite yet.
"Please don't take this for granted. We need to be ready. We will be ready as a county to respond, and we need and ask every citizen to be ready as well," Mohler said.
To do that, they say have a plan in place for you and your pets, and make sure you have medications stocked before the storms.
Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
