Counties prepare for worst as Sandy approaches

CARNEY, Md. - As with any storm, people are flocking to stores like Home Depot, looking for generators, batteries and flashlights.

The stakes are even higher as the area braces for a hurricane.

Ken Bearsh was trying to beat the rush at Otter Point Yacht Club in Abingdon. The rush – he was trying to get his boat out of the Chesapeake Bay ahead of Hurricane Sandy. He says he learned his lesson nine years ago, and he’s got a plan this time around.

“Isabel – We didn’t think anything was going to happen, and it was fine until one o’clock in the morning,” he said. “Then, everybody knows, we woke up next morning and everything was 10 feet under water.”

Still, others like Ray Morrison of Level, Maryland, no longer wait until the storm is upon them. Morrison says he prepares for almost anything.

“I’ve heard snow. High winds are what I’m most concerned about,” Morrison said. “I don’t know about the rain. How much that’s gonna be and where it’s going to hit – whether it’s going to be up the bay of they say maybe Delaware Bay or up the Peninsula between Delaware and Chesapeake Bay. So, it depends on where it comes in.”

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Emergency managers in both Baltimore and Harford counties are preparing for the worst, mindful of the possible flooding  along the bay and the real danger posed by high winds and heavy rain.

“We do expect to receive a significant amount of rainfall… somewhere between six inches to maybe 12 inches of rain over a 24-36 hour period,” said Harford County spokesman Robert Thomas. “We also believe we’re going to have very strong, gusty winds that’s going to bring down some power lines, et cetera. So, the possibility of power outages is an absolute reality that we need to deal with. There’s no way to tell where in the county that may occur, but folks need to plan and prepare accordingly.”

Emergency managers recommend you have a three-day supply of fresh drinking water for each person in your home, along with plenty of batteries and flashlights. They also ask that you not use candles, and if you drive in the storm, keep from going through any standing water.