Homeowners along Chesapeake Bay prepare for Earl

MILLERS ISLAND, Md. - Life has returned to normal for Anna Cook as she feeds the ducks and checks her crab traps behind her waterfront home on Millers Island.

She’s also taking time out to prepare for Hurricane Earl.

"We're going to be tying up our boats to the pier for the high winds and the high waters,” said Cook, “We're gonna get ready. Ever since Isabel, we're gonna get ready."

When Isabel cut through western Maryland as a tropical storm in 2003, the ensuing tidal surge swamped Miller Island overnight, and many had to be rescued from their homes.

"I'm trying to get straightened out. I haven't even moved in yet," said John Ruth, who is still rebuilding his home almost seven years after Isabel, and while he’s preparing for Earl, he says he won’t fret over it, "You can't worry about it. You gotta live your life. If it comes, it comes."

Elvis will still be in the house, the fire house that is, at the nearby North Point Edgemere Volunteer Fire Company on Friday night to benefit St. Jude’s.

But that doesn’t mean firefighters, like David Davies, aren’t taking Earl seriously.

"Our portable pumps---we're getting them out and running them, make sure we have fuel for all the equipment, tonight we have a regular membership meeting where we're going to go over our list of prep and make sure everybody's on board," said Davies.

He says the lesson of Isabel is never to take any storm for granted.

"In that instance, it hit us a lot worse than we thought it would. A lot of our members lost their homes down at Miller Island and stuff, so we're well aware of what a storm can do to you, especially if you're not ready for it."

Firefighters say they’re shifting schedules to add extra staffing in preparation for Earl, and they’re calling upon any residents with special medical conditions or limited mobility to let them know in advance if they may need help should they need to evacuate.