Sandbags, Rescue Teams at the Ready as Tropical Storm Moves Ashore
By Michael Laris and David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The Washington region yesterday braced for Tropical Storm Hanna, which was forecast to bring between three and seven inches of rain and winds of more than 30 mph, causing officials to open emergency shelters and unload hundreds of sandbags in areas likely to be hit hardest.
Hanna was expected to make landfall late last night near the border between North Carolina and South Carolina and continue churning north-northeast, affecting much of the Atlantic seaboard. The brunt of the storm was expected to hit the Washington area overnight and through this afternoon. It was predicted to begin tapering off tonight.
In Virginia, shelters were prepared in the city of Chesapeake, James City County and other areas that could be most affected. The American Red Cross said it had 2,300 volunteers mobilized in the state, along with 9,600 cots and blankets, and similar preparations have been made in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, said Armond Mascelli, Red Cross vice president of disaster operations.
Southeastern Virginia, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore were likely to be hardest hit, authorities said. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) issued an expanded emergency declaration yesterday covering the entire state.
Some isolated areas could get as much as 10 inches of rain. Flooding "could be anywhere," said Edward Hopkins, chief of staff for Maryland's Emergency Management Agency.
Arcs of rain spinning out from Hanna passed through the Outer Banks and southeastern Virginia yesterday as the center of the storm moved northward. An Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter tracked the storm about 645 miles south of the District at 2 p.m. yesterday, and it was headed north at about 20 mph. Hanna is expected to pass about 60 miles east of the District, according to the National Weather Service.
By 10 last night, more than three-quarters of an inch of rain had fallen at Wallops Island, Va. A half-inch of rain fell in Richmond and at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk. The rain then subsided, tapering for a time into fog and mist.
In the District, streets glistened with moisture by 8 p.m., and at 10 p.m. heavy rain was reported at Reagan National Airport. By 11 p.m., more than a third of an inch had fallen there.
The Weather Service predicted that the storm's greatest impact here would come from midday today into tonight.
Some streams and creeks will rise to the level of their banks, or overflow, according to a late forecast.
Top sustained winds have approached 70 mph, with some higher gusts, making Hanna near hurricane strength, although it was expected to subside sharply once it hit land, according to the Weather Service.
The Weather Service warned of potential flash flooding in paved urban areas and streambeds. Workers filled and dropped 2,500 sandbags at historically vulnerable Metro stations, including the Cleveland Park, King Street and Largo Town Center stations.
District residents can pick up a maximum of five sandbags per household from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at 1241 W St. NE.
Yesterday, the threat of heavy rain and rising seas didn't seem to be driving residents away from Smith Island, Md., a low-lying archipelago far out in the Chesapeake Bay. Roland Bradshaw, a leader among island watermen, said in a phone interview that the Coast Guard had offered to evacuate residents but that he did not know of anyone who had accepted. "We're all staying," Bradshaw said.
"They're calling for a right smart of wind," Bradshaw said, but he said residents had chosen to stay put, bringing in crab pots, lawn mowers and other things that might blow around in the high winds.
"Right now, everybody's pretty content where they're at," Bradshaw said. "We worry, but we've been through a lot."
Forecasts predicted less severity than major storms of recent years. Still, authorities -- primed by the season's storm activity and the drama connected with Hurricane Gustav -- repeatedly called for vigilance, and many groups were quick to cancel activities. These included tonight's Rosslyn Jazz Festival, Pop Warner football games in the District and all school activities today in Prince George's County, including football games.
In Richmond, NASCAR lovers had hoped tonight's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 would roar on as planned, but it and another race Friday were postponed. Some fans, sensing the coming torrent, had rushed to unload tickets below face value.
Professional storm watchers tried to put Hanna in historical perspective.
"It's definitely not nice weather, but it shouldn't be compared to the weather we had with Hurricane Isabel," said Mark Hoekzema, chief meteorologist at WeatherBug. The 2003 storm battered parts of the region, closed the federal government, schools and business, and left more than 1 million residents without power. "You hear a lot of stuff . . . about four to eight inches, wind gusts to 60. That type of weather is really not likely in the Washington, D.C., area on the current expected track," he said, adding that most heavily populated parts of the metro region will probably average two to four inches of rain.
Still, even more modest storms, such as Gaston a year later, as well as Hanna, can offer opportunities for bad decisions.
"Most deaths from these types of storms come from flooding, from people driving into floodwaters or falling into rivers . . . and just being careless and not respecting the power of moving water," Hoekzema said. People should "stay away from streams that are running very fast. Use common sense. That's just to stay inside when it's raining really hard. That would go a long way."
In the Washington area, several counties said their staffs were working special shifts to respond to the storm.
In Annapolis, where downtown areas were flooded during Isabel, a spokesman said that the city government had left sandbags out in two locations for home and business owners to use. Special barriers were being put up around the Market House, a City Dock landmark close to the water.
"We're not expecting much," city spokesman Ray Weaver said. "We'd rather overdo it than underdo it."
Of city cleanup crews, he added: "All the gas tanks are topped off. All the chain saws are ready. Everything's ready to go."
The Virginia Department of Transportation yesterday had crews clearing drains. The agency also put tree contractors on standby and was watching key tunnels and bridges, especially in the Hampton Roads areas, for flooding.
Computer models showed Hanna's center on track to pass southeast of the Richmond area, through the Washington region and up the Atlantic seaboard.
Maryland Natural Resources Police had strong advice for people considering going out in a boat.
"Don't," said spokesman Sgt. Ken Turner. "It's pretty simple."
Staff writers Philip Rucker, Lena H. Sun, Nikita Stewart and Martin Weil, staff researcher Meg Smith and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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