O’Malley MEMA Update: MD is Prepared, Obama Calls State of Emergency

With the worst of Hurricane Irene expected to hit Ocean City near midnight Saturday, Gov. Martin O’Malley assured Maryland residents the state is ready for anticipated power outages and flooding.

As the wind howled just outside the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) headquarters at Camp Fretterd in Reisterstown, O’Malley said the state is ending its preparation phase.

More than 40 state agencies are now ready to respond to whatever crises Irene brings.

“We do anticipate widespread damage,” said O’Malley, who was joined by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin during the briefing.

President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration for Maryland Saturday afternoon, which means the state will have access to federal aid to supplement its own resources to respond to the disaster.

A screen in MEMA’s operation center updating the number of residents without power showed a jump from 12,458 to 16,044 while the governor gave his briefing around 3:30 p.m.

BGE and Pepco have between two to three times more crews on standby than they did before the start of “snowmageddon” in 2010, O’Malley said.

The powerful storm moved over the state early Saturday afternoon. The heaviest rain and winds are anticipated to arrive around midnight, several hours earlier than expected.

While flooding and a storm surge of three to five feet are still expected, Irene will hit her hardest between the high tides, which may mean less destruction to the coastal area, O’Malley said.

“It is a relatively slow-moving storm with a lot of rain,” he said.

Evacuations from Ocean City went smoothly, and the state also issued an evacuation for Calvert County residents who lived within 100 feet of the cliffs, O’Malley said.

Transportation Secretary Beverly Swaim-Staley said the light rail will shut down at 6 p.m., and bus service will stop at 9 p.m.

Travel across the Bay Bridge was restricted when winds reached 40 mph, and the state will close the bridge if winds climb to 55 mph, she said.

While BWI-Marshall Airport was not closed, most airlines stopped or limited flights on Saturday, she said.

Sen. Cardin emphasized the importance of the state and federal agencies working together during the worst of the storm and its aftermath.

“These are stressful times for everyone in this state,” Cardin said.