Bel Air Police On Hurricane Florence: Flooding, Outages Possible

BEL AIR, MD — Before Hurricane Florence makes landfall, officials across Maryland and Harford County are urging residents to prepare. The Category 4 storm may bring dangerous winds and heavy rain by the end of the week.

Saturated ground and waterways swollen from an extraordinary amount of rainfall this year have heightened the potential for flooding and falling trees, officials said.

The day after Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in Maryland, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman called for residents to take precautions, particularly as the county is still recovering from recent floods.

"Harford County is still feeling the effects of flash floods on Labor Day weekend that required more than 20 swift water rescues and caused a tragic loss of life," Glassman said in a statement Tuesday.

"With Hurricane Florence, we have some time to prepare for this storm and others that may arise throughout hurricane season," Glassman said. "Please use this time to make a plan to protect yourself and your loved ones."

Parts of Harford County are in what the Maryland Emergency Management Agency calls an evacuation zone, where flooding may occur. Those areas are mainly in Joppa, Edgewood, Abingdon, Riverside, Belcamp and Havre de Grace.

If evacuations are needed, Harford County spokeswoman Cindy Mumby told Patch that robo-calls and/or door-to-door notifications would be made to those affected.

For those shoring up their properties, free sand is available Tuesday at two locations in Harford County:

• Flying Point Park, 511 Kennard Avenue, in Edgewood
• Robert Copenhaver Park, 664 Trimble Road in Joppa

It's BYOB — bring your own bags — and bring your own shovel, according to the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company.

Attention #Joppa & #Edgewood residents. Sand for sandbags is available at Copenhaver Park, 664 Trimble Rd #Joppa. You must bring and fill your own bag(s). Shovels and bags are not provided. First come, first serve. pic.twitter.com/5fhI79zlzw
— Joppa-Magnolia VFC (@jmvfc8) September 11, 2018

The Bel Air Police Department has advised citizens that high water and power outages may come with the heavy rainfall and high winds that are forecast this week.

When possible, police said that officials will put up temporary stop signs at intersections where the power has gone out. By law, drivers in Maryland who come to a traffic signal that is out must treat the intersection as a four-way stop.

People should not drive or walk through roads that are covered by water. Officials say 6 inches of water can knock a person down and two feet of water can sweep a vehicle away.

• MD Governor Declares State Of Emergency For Hurricane Florence
• Photos Of Harford County Flood Damage From Labor Day Weekend
• Hurricane Florence: How Marylanders Can Prepare

Stay Connected To Weather Alerts In Harford County

• Find storm-related county road closures
• Sign up for Harford County’s emergency alerts: https://harfordcounty.bbcportal.com/
• Visit Harford County emergency management's hurricane and tropical storm preparedness page
• Know the Harford County Information Line may be activated for non-emergency info during a storm: 410-838-5800
• Get news alerts from Harford County Patches

(Stay on top of all the latest Hurricane Florence news with our free, real-time news alerts, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

How To Prepare In Harford County

• Keep a flashlight and extra batteries ready.
• Have cash on hand in case credit machines are down in an outage.
• Clear your gutters and downspouts.
• Remove loose items from your yard that can become projectiles.
• Charge cell phones and mobile devices
• Develop a plan for older individuals and pets.
• Make sure gas tanks are at least half full.
• Establish a place to meet family members if evacuation is necessary
• Have 3 to 7 days of nonperishable food and water (1 gallon of water per person per day at least)
• Stock up on supplies for pets
• Place documents, phone numbers and cash in a sealed plastic bag in your emergency kit

Pictured, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman addresses agency representatives gathered at the county’s emergency operations center Monday to prepare for the potential impact of Hurricane Florence. Photo courtesy of Harford County Government.