Tempest, Still at Sea, Is Making Itself Felt
Massive System Might Reach Tropical Status Before Landfall, Forecasters Say

By William Wan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 26, 2008

Tendrils of a massive storm system began whipping the Washington region with sharp winds and light rain yesterday as the region's coastal towns braced for possible tidal flooding and downed trees and power lines.

The storm, swirling a few miles off the coast of North Carolina, was expected to make landfall last night and begin its slow march up to the D.C. region. But the drizzle and winds that came before it had already done some damage.

Officials in the tourist town of North Beach in Calvert County said they had lost eight feet of their 25-foot beach by 3 p.m. to erosion from choppy waves.

"This beach is our biggest draw. It's why people come to our town," said Public Works Director Don Bowen. He said replenishing the lost sand would cost tens of thousands. "This kind of storm, the direction it's coming in, is even worse than a hurricane for us. We're probably going to lose a few more feet before this is all over."

In Virginia's Hampton Roads region, closer to the center of the storm, low-lying streets were flooded. More than 6,000 homes and businesses were without power at one point as winds and toppled trees knocked down power lines.

Most of the Washington region remained under a flood advisory last night as forecasters predicted one to three inches of rain in what could be a nor'easter.

The largest threat appears to be a surge of water from a combination of high tide and gusty winds, which is expected to push water from the Chesapeake Bay into coastal communities. Tides are forecast to run as much as two feet above normal. The worst of the storm was expected to arrive late last night and early this morning.

"We have high tide at 3:30 a.m.," said Annapolis city spokesman Ray Weaver. "That's the one we're really worried about."

Working amid yesterday's drizzle, officials in Annapolis were offering sandbags to those near the downtown's low-lying City Dock. By noon, residents and businesses had unloaded an entire truckload of sandbags, and a second batch was on its way. City patrol boats went boat to boat all day, relaying warnings for boaters to make sure they were well-anchored or to seek shelter in upstream creeks.

"Right now, the flooding conditions don't seem as bad as we thought they might be," Harbormaster Rick Dahlgren said from his office near the water's edge. "But these nor'easter-type storms are surprising. As good as the forecasters are, you never know what you'll get once it blows in."

In Chesapeake Beach in Calvert, public works employees spent the morning sealing manhole covers to prevent flooding water from seeping in and causing sewage overflows.

Others double-checked wells and pump stations, topping off gas tanks for each station's emergency generator in case power lines were severed.

"We just bought a bunch more chain saws to remove trees. We got to thinking after the last storm that we're overdue for some downed trees," Mayor Gerald Donovan said. "Sometimes these non-hurricane, non-tropical storms can wreak a lot more havoc on us small towns."

After surviving a tornado last June and Tropical Storm Hanna a few weeks ago, the town couldn't take any chances, Donovan said.

Yesterday afternoon, as the storm remained 75 miles southeast of Cape Fear, N.C., there was a possibility that it could become a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

"But regardless of whether it actually becomes tropical, whether it gets a name, it's going to be producing strong winds and rain," said Dennis Feltgen, hurricane center spokesman.

Meteorologists predict that the storm will last into Saturday morning. Gusts up to 45 mph are expected along the Chesapeake Bay, with less powerful winds inland.

A flooding advisory issued by the weather service will remain in effect until 6 this morning for the District and the following counties in Maryland: Prince George's, Anne Arundel, St. Mary's, Calvert, Baltimore and Harford.

The advisory also applied to the following areas of Virginia: Prince William, Manassas, Fairfax, Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, Stafford and King George.