Remnants of Hurricane Debby Expected to Impact Baltimore Region Beginning Thursday, Mayor Scott Encourages Residents to Take Precautions

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, August 7, 2024) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced that the City of Baltimore is taking significant steps to prepare for the impact of severe weather later in the week as the remnants of Hurricane Debby move up the East Coast. 

According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to impact the Baltimore region beginning Thursday afternoon, with the most intense impact occurring late Thursday and Friday. The current forecast anticipates  impacts to include flooding due to heavy rainfall, tidal flooding, possibility of tornadoes, and gusty winds, including Gale force winds over water.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated beginning Thursday, August 8th. 

Permitted Outdoor Events and Recreation Activities Canceled

Baltimore City Recreation and Parks has canceled all outdoor permitted events and all outdoor recreation activities, including BCRP-sponsored summer camps. All pools between Thursday and Saturday will be closed, including the Teen Pool Party scheduled for Friday night. Families connected to impacted recreation activities and camps, as well as those who RSVPed to Friday's canceled Teen Pool Party, will be contacted directly by BCRP staff to ensure they are aware of the cancellation.

Mayor's Office of Homeless Services (MOHS) - Emergency Shelter

An emergency shelter, coordinated by the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services will be opened  for Friday and Saturday at Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center. The Rec Center will close early at 6 p.m. on Thursday to make way for preparations.

Outreach teams will work throughout this week to encourage residents experiencing housing insecurity to relocate to existing shelters where beds are available.

During the storm, street outreach teams will work to transport anyone still not placed in a shelter to Robert C. Marshall.

In addition to the MOHS emergency shelter, the City will monitor the impact of storm damage as the storm progresses and are taking steps that would allow for the quick opening of additional emergency shelter locations in severely impacted areas. This step will only be taken if necessary following widespread power outages and significant storm damage.

Sandbag Distribution 

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation is distributing sandbags to residents at three locations across the City of Baltimore, with focus on residents impacted in frequently flooded areas. 

The distribution will be held Wednesday, August 7 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m, at these locations:

• Fells Point: Intersection of Thames and Broadway
• Irvington: Stillmeadow Church, 5110 Frederick Ave
• Mervo High School: Intersection of Hillen and 35th 

Parking Options for Residents in Low-Lying Areas

The Parking Authority of Baltimore City is making space in neighborhood City-owned parking facilities available to residents in Fells Point to park their cars in as the storm that is predicted to bring flooding to Fells Point.

Parking will be free in these garages from Thursday, August 8 starting at 10 a.m. until Saturday, August 10. Spaces are available on a ‘first come, first served' basis. The timeframe may be extended based on conditions and on monthly contract parker obligations. Residents will be asked to provide proof of residency at the garages.

The City-owned garage locations within or near Fells Point include:

• Fleet & Eden Garage
  501 S. Eden Street
  Baltimore, MD 21205
• Caroline Street Garage
  805 S. Caroline Street
  Baltimore, Maryland 21231
• Little Italy Parking Garage
  400 S. Central Avenue
  Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Personal Storm Preparations

The City of Baltimore encourages residents to take steps to protect themselves, family members, and property by making preparations in advance of the storm's arrival on Thursday. 

OEM encourages residents to compile a personal emergency kit. These kits often include:

• Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation) 
• Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert. 
• Flashlight 
• First Aid Kit 
• Extra Batteries 
• Whistle (to signal for help) 

Older adults and those with chronic illness are encouraged to take extra precautions, including contingency plans to manage necessary medications, especially those that require refrigeration.

Residents are encouraged to secure outdoor belongings, including furniture, present on steps, patios, decks, and in yards. 

Residents are reminded to avoid standing or moving water. Flood waters are almost always deeper and more swiftly moving than it appears. Attempting to drive through flood waters are responsible for half of flood fatalities. The next highest percentage of flood-related deaths is due to walking into or near flood waters. Residents are reminded of the phrase: Turn around, don't drown! If you see a traffic control barrier in the road, don't drive around it, it has been placed for a reason. The City will monitor road conditions and may close certain roadways to ensure residents are safe in the event of flooding.

Residents are also reminded to ensure the proper use of generators. If you have a generator, do not use a generator inside your home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. Keep them outside of your living spaces and away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come inside. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill silently. Place generators at least 20 feet away from your home, downwind away from open doors, windows and vents. Turn the generator off before refueling, and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Lastly, there remains significant storm debris from last weekend's storm. The City is concerned about remaining storm debris, like leaves, sticks, branches, and litter, causing blockages in storm drains, causing additional localized flooding. City crews have taken actions to clear storm drains before this week's anticipated weather.

If you have storm drains around your property where you can see debris, please take action to clear them or call 311 to help identify locations so that City crews can respond to prevent flooding. 

Residents are encouraged to call 311 for any storm related service requests, including downed trees, traffic signals experiencing outages, or sewage backups.