Ellicott City Prepares For Hurricane Florence

By Savannah Williams and Harrison Cann, Capital News Service

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Planning for Hurricane Florence is now in the second week for some, including in Ellicott City. Howard County Emergency Management Director Ryan Miller said his office started reverse-timelining last week — planning what steps they'd need to take, by when.

"I would say our biggest concern right now is the wind," Miller said. "We could still have some tropical-storm force winds during the storm. That, coupled with the saturated soil conditions, could topple trees."

He said this may lead to power outages, blocked roadways and property damage.

• Sandbags Available In Ellicott City

Miller is charged with preparing the especially vulnerable Ellicott City, where many businesses are still rebuilding after two devastating floods — one that swept through in 2016 and the other in May of this year.

He said from monitoring hurricane models Tuesday, it looked like the risk of flash-flooding in Ellicott City was decreasing, but they were still battening down some construction sites there.

According to Miller, even though Florence is a serious storm, it did have one advantage over thunderstorms, "a hurricane comes more slowly … you know when the risk is getting there."

With time to prepare, Baltimore Gas & Electric is planning on having an additional 800 line workers and tree personnel ready for storm response, said Justin Mulcahy, communications manager. He said utility companies will work on "mutual assistance," sending resources to the areas that get hit the hardest.

One of the most important steps residents can take are to fill their tubs with potable drinking water and look up their hurricane evacuation zone by home address, said Jorge Castillo, a spokesman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. The system, new this year, features three different evacuation zones by level of urgency.

"There's a couple things (Marylanders) can do," Castillo said. "No. 1 is to take this storm seriously. It just takes one storm to change your life."

He suggested planning ways to communicate with family and neighbors during the storm, and in case of evacuation to know where your family would go, and where and when to reconvene if you get separated. He also recommended that pet owners call ahead to learn whether hotels will host furry companions.

Castillo warned against driving over flooded roads, saying that was how most people end up dying or putting rescue workers in danger during hurricanes.

"If you can't see the road, if it's underwater, you have to turn around," Castillo said.

Regina Averella, a public and government affairs manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said most of the calls they recieve for roadside assistance come near the start of a storm and taper off as drivers heed warnings to stay off the roads.

"We're up and going during the storm," Averella said, but qualified: "If you do not have to be out in a storm, certainly stay off the roadways."

Averella said drivers should check their gas tanks, tire pressure, windshield wipers and headlights before traveling, and should be sure to bring cash, medications and important documents with them. She said these could be IDs, birth certificates, adoption records, financial paperwork and something for proof of residence, like a utility bill.

She also recommended calling airlines and checking the Maryland Department of Transportation website to learn about potential road closures and flight cancellations along travel routes.

Insurance companies are also bracing for the worst. Mike DeFiore and Machelle Johnson, claims representatives with Avery Hall Insurance in Salisbury, said they are on high alert ahead of the hurricane.

DeFiore said they are advising their customers to have their policy numbers and agent phone numbers on hand in case of damage and to take pictures before starting cleanup. They said to keep an inventory of damaged items but also get any water out as quickly as possible.

"That was the problem with (Hurricane) Sandy," Johnson said. "It took so long to get out there that the mold sets in, then you have to take drywall out and treat support beams."

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Photo by Elizabeth Janney.