Natural Hazards Preparedness Guide - pg

Transcription

MARYLAND
Natural Hazards Preparedness Guide
Maryland Emergency Management Agency
TROPICAL CYCLONES
TROPICAL CYCLONES
The Eyewall: This is the region where the strongest winds
get as close to the center of the storm as they can. The eyewall
consists of a ring of tall intense thunderstorms that produce
heavy rains and usually the strongest winds. Changes in the
structure of the eye and eyewall can cause changes in the
wind speed, which is an indicator of the storm’s intensity.
The eye can grow or shrink in size and on occasion, double
eyewalls can form.
Tropical cyclones, a general term for tropical storms
and hurricanes, are low pressure systems that form over
the tropics and sub-tropics. These storms are referred to
as “cyclones” due to their rotation. Tropical cyclones are
among the most powerful and destructive meteorological
systems on earth. On average it takes about five days for
a tropical cyclone to reach its maximum potential intensity.
Their destructive elements include very high winds, heavy
rain, lightning, tornadoes, hail, and storm surge.
There are four stages of tropical cyclone in order of
development:
The Spiral Rainbands: These are curved bands of clouds
and thunderstorms trailing away from the eyewall in a spiral
fashion. These bands are capable of producing heavy bursts
of rain and wind, as well as tornadoes. There are sometimes
gaps between spiral rainbands where no rain or intense
wind is found.
Tropical Wave: a low pressure trough of persisting
winds that blow from east to west.
Tropical Depression: a closed circulation with maximum sustained surface wind speed less than 39 mph.
Tropical Storm: a closed circulation with a maximum
sustained surface wind speed from 39-73 mph.
Hurricane: a closed circulation maximum sustained
surface wind greater than 74 mph.
A Tropical Cyclone’s Size: Typical hurricane strength
tropical cyclones are about 300 miles wide, although they
can vary considerably. Size is not necessarily an indication of
hurricane intensity. Hurricane Andrew (1992), the second
most devastating hurricane to hit the United States, next to
Katrina (2005), was a relatively small hurricane. However,
the hurricane’s destructive winds and rains covered a wide
swath. For a large system, hurricane-force winds can extend
outward more than 150 miles. The area over which tropical
storm-force winds occur is even greater, ranging as far out
as 300 miles from the eye of a large hurricane.
Hurricane Structure: The main parts of a tropical
cyclone are the rainbands, the eye, and the eyewall. Air
spirals in toward the center in a counter-clockwise pattern
in the northern hemisphere and out the top in the opposite
direction. In the very center of the storm, sinking air forms a
mostly cloud free region called the “eye”.
Hurricane Season: The National Weather Service
(NWS) National Hurricane Center defines June 1 through
November 30 as the Atlantic hurricane season. September
is the most active month for tropical cyclones in Maryland.
National Hurricane Center records show that on
average, ten tropical cyclones develop each year over the
three primary regions for development, the Atlantic Basin,
the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Of these, on
average, six storms strengthen to become hurricanes, and of
these, two reach to a major hurricane intensity of category
three or higher based on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane
Wind Scale.
The Eye: The hurricane’s center is a relatively calm,
What about Maryland? Generally, Maryland is spared
generally clear area of sinking air and light winds that usually
do not exceed 15 mph and is typically 20-40 miles across.
An eye develops when maximum sustained wind speed
exceeds 74 mph.
Maryland Natural Hazards Preparedness Guide
from land falling hurricanes because of the orientation of the
Mid-Atlantic coastline, as well as the State’s latitude. Because
the coast of North Carolina extends out into the Atlantic,
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MEMA – Maryland Emergency Management Agency
TROPICAL CYCLONES
storms trending up the coast tend to make landfall there
or pass offshore. Most hurricanes approaching Maryland
make landfall to the south and soon are downgraded to
tropical storm or tropical depression status.
However, a number of factors point to the potential
for increased danger from severe tropical cyclones in
Maryland. Steady population growth and continuing nearshore development are increasing the risk of human injury
and property loss. There is also widespread agreement
among climatologists that a gradual change in climate is
occurring. Potential effects include the melting of polar ice,
expansion of the oceans, and an overall rise in sea levels.
The slow sinking of land in the Chesapeake region, due to
the combined effects of ground water withdrawal and postglacial rebound, effectively doubles the global rate of sea
level rise in Maryland’s coastal areas. These factors increase
the vulnerability of coastal areas to storm surge.
Active watches and warnings are contained within the
text of the public advisory and in nearly all instances provide
a 48-hour lead time for watches and a 36-hour lead time
for warnings.
Tropical Cyclone Impacts: Tropical cyclone hazards
come in several forms: storm surge, high winds, flooding,
and tornadoes.
Storm Surge: The intensity of tropical cyclones is measured
by wind velocity, although the greatest devastation is usually
associated with storm surge and flooding. For example,
Hurricanes Agnes (1972) and Fran (1996) produced some
of the worst flooding ever recorded for western and central
Maryland due to heavy rains. In terms of storm surge, the
August 1933 storm was particularly destructive, generating
a 7-foot surge and waves over 20 feet high that created the
inlet now separating Ocean City from Assateague Island.
NOAA/NWS Annapolis, MD, Isabel 2003
MEMA, Hurricane Isabel, Eastern Shore Flooding
Advisories, Watches, and Warnings: The National
Hurricane Center issues tropical cyclone advisories once a
storm reaches the level of tropical depression. Advisories are
issued every six hours; in the eastern time zone, advisories
are issued at 5 and 11 a.m. and 5 and 11 p.m. The Center
also issues intermediate advisories every three hours when
coastal watches or warnings have been posted and every
two hours when coastal watches or warnings have been
posted and land-based Doppler radars have identified a
reliable storm center. Additionally, special public advisories
may be issued at any time whenever a significant change has
been noted in the storm.
Storm surge is an abnormal local rise in sea level.
The storm surge is caused by the difference in wind and
barometric pressure between a tropical system and the
environment outside the system. The end result is that
water is pushed onto a coastline. The height of the surge
is measured as the difference from mean sea level and can
reach over 25 feet in extreme circumstances. The most
devastating storm surges occur just to the right of the eye
of a landfalling hurricane. For coastal areas, the storm surge
is typically the most dangerous and damaging aspect of the
storm.
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TROPICAL CYCLONES
Strong southerly winds ahead of the hurricane can
push tides well above normal levels, causing extensive tidal
flooding along the length of the Chesapeake Bay. Storm
surges of 5 feet or more can occur over central portions of
the Bay, inundating sections of Dorchester and Somerset
Counties. Associated excessive rainfall amounts across the
lower Eastern Shore can cause significant crop damage and
inland flooding.
debris, such as wood and metal siding, and sending them
hurling at high speeds into other structures.
Tropical storm-force winds are strong enough to be
dangerous to those caught in them. It is for this reason,
emergency managers try to have their evacuations
completed and their emergency response personnel
sheltered before the onset of tropical storm force winds
(39 mph).
In a hurricane, the strongest
winds usually occur to the right side
of the hurricane. The winds associated
with a hurricane usually decrease
significantly within 12 hours after
landfall. Nonetheless, winds can stay
above hurricane strength well inland.
Hurricane Hugo (1989) battered
Charlotte, North Carolina, about 175
miles inland, with wind gusts to nearly
100 mph.
The intensity of a landfalling hurricane is expressed in
terms of categories, relating to wind speeds and potential
damage as described in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind
Scale below.
High Winds: Hurricanes are known for their damaging
winds and they are rated in strength by their wind speed. The
wind experienced from a hurricane damages and destroys
structures in two ways. First, many homes are damaged or
destroyed when high winds lift the roof off of the structure.
The process is called Bernoulli’s Principle, which states the
faster the air moves across a structure, the pressure lowers
on the exposed side of the roof creating higher pressure
in the attic. This action is similar to that on the wing of an
airplane. As wind flow and speed increase across the wing
of an airplane, it acquires lift. In the case of a roof, the lift
created pulls the roof free and it becomes airborne. With
the roof gone, the walls can be more easily blown down by
the force of the wind.
HURRICANE CATEGORIES
DAMAGE
Category
Wind Speed
1
74-95 mph
Some damage
2
96-110 mph
Extensive damage
3
111-130 mph Devastating Damage
4
131-155 mph Catastrophic Damage
5
156+ mph Catastrophic Damage
Before the Hurricane Season:
✔ Know the hurricane risks in your area.
✔ Learn safe evacuation routes inland.
✔ Learn the location of designated shelters.
✔ Review needs and working conditions of emergency
equipment, such as flashlights and battery-powered
radios.
✔ Ensure that enough nonperishable food and water
supplies are on hand.
✔ Obtain and store materials, such as plywood, necessary
to secure your home properly.
✔ Clear loose/clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
✔ Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed.
✔ Determine where to move your boat in an emergency.
✔ Review your flood insurance policy.
Courtesy of FEMA – Sabine, TX, heavily damaged as noted by blue roof
The second way homes and structures are destroyed
or damaged is by wind blowing the airborne roof and other
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TROPICAL CYCLONES
When in a Watch Area:
✔ Frequently listen to radio, TV, or NOAA All Hazards
Weather Radio for official bulletins of the storm’s
progress.
✔ Fuel and service family vehicles.
✔ Inspect and secure mobile home tie downs.
✔ Cover all window and door openings with shutters or
other protective materials.
✔ Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid
supplies, drinking water, and medications.
✔ Secure lawn furniture and other loose and lightweight
objects, such as garbage cans and garden tools.
✔ Have an extra supply of cash on hand.
What to bring to a shelter: first-aid kit; medications;
baby food and diapers; cards, games, books; toiletries;
battery-powered radio; a charged cell phone; flashlight
(one per person); extra batteries; blankets or sleeping bags;
identification, valuable papers (insurance), and cash.
Flooding: In addition to storm surge and high winds, tropical
cyclones threaten the United States with their torrential rains
and flooding. Even after winds have diminished, the flood
potential from these storms can remain for several days after
landfall. Since 1970, nearly 60 percent of the 600 deaths
due to floods associated with tropical cyclones occurred
inland from the storm’s landfall. Of that 60 percent, almost
a fourth of tropical cyclone deaths occur when people
drown in their cars or attempt to abandon their cars once
it is too late.
While storm surge is always a potential threat, more
people have died from inland flooding during the 30-year
period from 1970 to 1999. Intense rainfall is not directly
related to the wind speed of a tropical cyclone. In fact, some
of the greatest rainfall amounts occur from weaker storms
that drift slowly or stall over an area.
Inland flooding can be a major threat to communities
hundreds of miles from the coast as intense rain falls from
these huge tropical air masses.
Plan to evacuate if you:
✔ Live in a mobile home. They are unsafe in high winds, no
matter how well fastened to the ground.
✔ Live on the coastline, an offshore island, or near a river
or a flood plain.
✔ Live in a high-rise. Hurricane winds are stronger at
higher elevations.
When in a Warning Area:
✔ Closely monitor radio, TV, or NOAA All Hazards
Weather Radio for official bulletins.
✔ Complete preparation activities, such as putting up
storm shutters, and storing loose objects.
✔ Follow instructions issued by local officials; Leave
immediately if told to do so!
✔ If evacuating, leave early (if possible, in daylight). Stay
with friends or relatives, at a low-rise inland hotel/motel,
or go to a pre-designated public shelter outside of any
flood zone.
✔ Mobile homes must be evacuated.
✔ Notify neighbors or a family member outside of the
warning area of your evacuation plans.
✔ Put food and water out for a pet if you cannot take it with
you.
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TROPICAL CYCLONES
Courtesy of USGS
Flooding Safety Rules
✔ Monitor the NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio or your
favorite news source for weather information.
✔ If flooding occurs, get to higher ground. Get out of areas
subject to flooding.
✔ Avoid areas already flooded, especially if the water is
flowing fast. Do not attempt to cross flowing streams.
✔ Road beds may be washed out under flood waters.
NEVER drive through flooded roadways. Turn Around
Don’t Drown!TM If your vehicle is caught suddenly in rising
water, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.
✔ Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams or
other bodies of water, particularly during threatening
conditions.
✔ Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to
recognize flood dangers.
Urban and Small Stream Advisory: Flooding of
small streams, streets and low-lying areas, such as railroad
underpasses and urban storm drains, is occurring.
Tornadoes: Hurricanes also can produce tornadoes that
add to the storm’s destructive power. Tornadoes are most
likely to occur in the right-front quadrant of the hurricane.
However, they are also often found elsewhere embedded in
rainbands associated with the hurricane, well away from the
center of the hurricane.
Some hurricanes seem to produce no tornadoes, while
others produce multiple ones. Studies have shown that more
than half of the landfalling hurricanes produce at least one
tornado. In general, tornadoes associated with hurricanes
are less intense than those occurring in the Great Plains.
When associated with hurricanes, tornadoes are not
usually accompanied by hail or a lot of lightning. Tornado
production can occur for days after landfall when the tropical
cyclone remnants maintain an identifiable low pressure
circulation. Tornadoes can develop at any time of the day
or night during landfall; however, 12 hours after landfall,
tornadoes tend to occur mainly during daytime hours.
The Power of Water, Courtesy of NOAA
Flash Flood or Flood Watch: Flash flooding or flooding
is possible within the designated watch area — the public
must be alert.
Flash Flood or Flood Warning: Flash flooding or flooding
has been reported or is imminent — take necessary
precautions at once!
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THUNDERSTORMS
THUNDERSTORMS
for citizens to be alert and prepared to go to safe shelter if
such threats do develop or if a warning is issued. Warnings
are issued by the responsible local weather forecast office
when a severe thunderstorm or tornado has been sighted
or indicated by Doppler weather radar.
As in tropical cyclones, a thunderstorm is commonly
characterized by lightning, winds of varying intensity,
intense rainfall and sometimes hail. An estimated 2,000
thunderstorms occur in the world at any given moment. In
terms of the relative frequency or intensity of thunderstorms
across the United States, the risk to Maryland is somewhat
lower than average. Kansas and Arizona experience the
longest annual duration of thunderstorm events, and Florida
experiences the greatest number of thunderstorm events
and the highest lightning strike density.
Over the 30-year period (1970-1999), the Maryland
per year average was around 41 events. In recent years,
this number has increased sharply to around 70 events and
is most likely due to more complete reporting due to the
introduction of Doppler Weather Radar.
Frequency of thunderstorm events in Maryland is highest
in central Maryland, including Anne Arundel, Baltimore,
Carroll, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s
Counties. Somerset County and Ocean City experience
the lowest number of events per year.
Thunderstorm Impacts: Thunderstorm hazards come
in several forms: tornadoes, hail, lightning, high winds, heavy
rain, and flash and riverine flooding.
NOAA/NWS, 2001, College Park, MD
Tornadoes: A tornado is a violently rotating funnel-shaped
column of air extending from a thunderstorm cloud to the
ground. Tornadoes can touch the ground with winds of
over 300 mph. While relatively short-lived, tornadoes
are intensely focused and are one of nature’s most violent
storms.
How Do Tornadoes Form?
Courtesy of NOAA
Watches and Warnings: The NWS’s Severe Storms
Before thunderstorms
develop, a change
in wind direction
and an increase in
wind speed with
increasing height
creates an invisible,
horizontal spinning
effect in the lower
atmosphere.
Prediction Center prepares severe thunderstorm and
tornado watches when weather conditions are such that
a severe thunderstorm, capable of producing damaging
winds of 58 mph or higher and/or hail one inch in diameter
or greater, is likely to develop. A tornado or severe
thunderstorm watch does not indicate an imminent tornado
or gusty winds and large hail; rather, a watch is an advisory
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Rising air within
the thunderstorm
updraft tilts the
rotating air from
horizontal to
vertical.
An area of rotation,
2-6 miles wide, now
extends through
much of the storm.
Most strong and
violent tornadoes
form within this area
of strong rotation.
THUNDERSTORMS
Tornadoes can range from just several yards to over 2
miles in width. Tornadoes can destroy almost everything
in their path. Although tornadoes normally travel on the
ground for short distances, tornado tracks of 200 miles
have been documented. Tornadoes are classified by their
wind speed and the damage they create. The Enhanced
Fujita Scale is a set of wind estimates, not measurements,
based on damage. The scale uses 28 Damage Indicators
(DIs), not shown in the scale below, with descriptions such
as “Double-wide mobile home” or “Strip mall”. These are
used along with Degree of Damage Indicators (DODs)
to determine wind estimates as described in the scale.
Different structures, depending on their building materials
and ability to survive high winds, have their own DIs and
DODs.
July is the peak month for tornado activity in Maryland.
Annually, Maryland averages 4.6 tornado events; however,
in 1995 the single-season had 24 reported tornadoes.
Two of Maryland’s most devastating tornadoes have struck
La Plata. Although the tornadoes occured 75 years apart, the
incidents raise the question of whether certain locations are
more likely to be in the paths of tornadoes than others.
Counties west of the Chesapeake Bay generally
experience a higher frequency of tornadoes than those on
the Eastern Shore. Anne Arundel, Charles, Frederick, and
Prince George’s Counties rank as a high risk for tornado
frequency.
NOAA/NWS, 1998, Frostburg, MD
LaPlata, MD, Supercell from the air Courtesy of NOAA
ENHANCED FUJITA TORNADO INTENSITY SCALE
Scale
EF0
EF1
EF2
EF3
EF4
EF5
Wind Speed
65-85 mph
86-110 mph
111-135 mph
136-165 mph
166-200 mph
> 200 mph
Frequency
53.5%
31.6%
10.7%
3.6%
0.7%
0.1%
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Potential Damage
Minor
Moderate
Considerable
Severe
Devastating
Extreme
THUNDERSTORMS
Tornado Safety
What YOU Can Do!
Before the Storm:
✔ Develop a plan for you and your family for home, work,
school and when outdoors.
✔ Have frequent drills.
✔ Know the county in which you live, and keep a highway
map nearby to follow storm movement from weather
bulletins.
✔ Have a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio with a warning
alarm tone and battery back-up to receive warnings.
✔ Listen to radio and television for information.
✔ If planning a trip outdoors, listen to the latest forecasts
and take necessary action if threatening weather is
possible.
NOAA/NWS
If a Warning is issued or if threatening weather
approaches:
✔ In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter,
such as a basement.
✔ If an underground shelter is not available, move to an
interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get
under a sturdy piece of furniture.
✔ Stay away from windows.
✔ Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; get out of
your car immediately and seek nearby safe shelter in a
sturdy building.
✔ Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection
from tornadoes and should be abandoned.
✔ If in open country and no shelter is available, lie flat and
face-down on low ground protecting the back of your
head with your arms. Get as far away as possible from
trees and cars, as they can be blown onto you.
occasionally occur in Maryland. A thunderstorm with hail
that affected several Maryland counties and caused $75
million in damage occurred on April 23, 1999. The storm
originated in western Pennsylvania, then tracked across
western Maryland, northern Virginia, and lower southern
Maryland, producing up to grapefruit-sized hail. In general,
central Maryland and westward into Washington County
have a higher incidence of hail events. Eastern Shore
counties and Allegany and Garrett Counties experience
lower hail frequency.
Hail can cause serious damage, notably to automobiles,
aircraft, skylights, glass-roofed structures, livestock, and
most commonly, farmers’ crops. Hail damage to roofs often
goes unnoticed until further structural damage is seen, such
as leaks or cracks. It is hardest to recognize hail damage on
shingled roofs and flat roofs, but all roofs have their own hail
damage detection problems. Metal roofs are fairly resistant
to hail damage, but may accumulate cosmetic damage in
the form of dents and damaged coatings.
Hail: Hail is associated exclusively with thunderstorms. Its
irregular shape results from a thunderstorm’s violent updrafts
and downdrafts that cause repeated freezing and melting of
ice. Hail varies in size and shape from pea-sized to coconutsized. The NWS issues a severe thunderstorm or tornado
warning if hail 1 inch in diameter or greater is reported or
indicated by Doppler Weather Radar. The greatest damage
from hail is to crops, vehicles, and structures.
The majority of hail events in Maryland occur in the
months of May and June. Large hail events are most often
associated with thunderstorms in the Midwest, but they can
Hail Safety Tips:
If you are in a car:
✔ Stop driving. If you can see a safe place close by (like
inside a garage, under a highway overpass, or under a
service station awning), drive there as soon as you can.
Make sure you pull completely off the highway.
✔ Do NOT leave the vehicle until it stops hailing. Your car
will furnish reasonable protection.
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THUNDERSTORMS
✔ Stay away from car windows. Cover your eyes with
something (like a piece of clothing). If possible, get onto
the floor face down, or lie down on the seat with your
back to the windows. Put very small children under you,
and cover their eyes.
If you are in a building:
✔ Stay inside until the hail stops.
✔ Stay away from the windows, especially those being
struck by hail.
✔ Account for all family members, building occupants,
pets, etc.
✔ Do not go outside for any reason. Large hail can cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
If you are outdoors:
✔ Seek shelter immediately. If you can’t find something
to protect your entire body, at least find something to
protect your head.
✔ Stay out of culverts and lowland areas that might fill
suddenly with water.
✔ Trees are a last resort. It is common during severe
storms for trees to lose branches. Also, large isolated
trees attract lightning.
The majority of lightning events in Maryland occur in the
months of June and July. In general, central Maryland is at
a higher risk for frequency of lightning strikes than the rest
of the State, with the exceptions of Baltimore City and
Howard County. The Eastern Shore, Cecil and Talbot
Counties have a relatively higher frequency risk than the
other counties.
Lightning: Lightning is a visible flow of electrical current
Lightning Safety Tips:
Photographer: C. Clark
Credit: NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR/ERL/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)
✔ PLAN in advance your evacuation and safety
measures. When you first see lightning or hear thunder,
activate your emergency plan. Now is the time to go to a
building or a vehicle. Lightning often precedes rain,
so don’t wait for the rain to begin before suspending
activities.
✔ IF OUTDOORS...Avoid water. Avoid the high
ground. Avoid open spaces. Avoid all metal objects
including electric wires, fences, machinery, motors, power
tools, etc. Unsafe places include underneath canopies,
small picnic or rain shelters, or near trees. Where
possible, find shelter in a substantial building or in a fully
enclosed vehicle such as a car, truck, or van with the
windows completely shut. If lightning is striking nearby
when you are outside, you should:
• Crouch down. Put feet together. Place hands
over ears to minimize hearing damage from
thunder.
• Avoid proximity (minimum of 15 ft.) to other
people.
between the earth and thunderstorm clouds, occurring
when varying positive and negative charges build up in
the atmosphere during a thunderstorm. Lightning typically
generates temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun,
30,000°F to 50,000°F. When the bolt suddenly heats the
air around it to such as extreme, the air instantly expands,
sending out a shockwave we hear as the explosive sound of
thunder. The diameter of a lightning bolt is about half an inch
to an inch wide, but can be up to 5 inches wide. The average
length of a lightning bolt from a cloud to the ground is 3 to
4 miles long.
Lightning kills more people in the U.S. annually (an
average of 90 and injures an average of 273) than any other
natural disaster except floods. Since no agency requires
reporting of lightning injuries, the true frequency of injury
from lightning is difficult to determine. Lightning impacts
property as well as people. In the 1990s, 15,000 lightninginduced fires caused widespread damage across the U.S.,
including the loss of over 2 million acres of forest.
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THUNDERSTORMS
✔ IF INDOORS...Avoid water. Stay away from
doors and windows. Do not use the telephone.
Take off head sets. Turn off, unplug, and stay away
from appliances, computers, power tools, and TV sets.
Lightning may strike exterior electric and phone lines,
inducing shocks to inside equipment.
✔ SUSPEND ACTIVITIES for 30 minutes after the
last observed lightning or thunder
thunder.
✔ INJURED PERSONS do not carry an electrical
charge and can be handled safely. Apply First Aid
procedures to a lightning victim if you are qualified to do
so. Call 911 or send for help immediately.
✔ KNOW YOUR EMERGENCY TELEPHONE
NUMBERS, including 911.
NUMBERS
MEMA, Frederick County Flash Flood
High Winds: Two basic types of damaging wind events
The highest risk for heavy rain is in Frederick and Prince
George’s Counties, and the lowest risk is in Somerset
County. In general, southern Maryland, the lower Eastern
Shore, and Allegany and Garrett Counties are at a lower
risk for heavy rain than the rest of the State. Such heavy
rainfall durations can result in flash or riverine flooding.
other than tropical systems affect Maryland: synoptic-scale
winds and thunderstorm winds. Synoptic-scale or large
scale winds are high winds that occur typically with cold
frontal passages or Nor’easters, and are uncommon in
Maryland. When thunderstorm winds are over 58 mph, the
thunderstorm is considered severe and a warning is issued.
“Downbursts” cause the high winds in a thunderstorm.
Downburst winds result from the sudden descent of cool
or cold air toward the ground. As the air hits the ground, it
spreads outward, creating a fast moving surge of high winds.
Unlike tornadoes, downburst winds move in a straight line,
without rotation.
The majority of wind events in Maryland occur in June
and July. In general, central Maryland is at greater risk for a
wind event than the rest of the State, with Carroll, Frederick,
Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Anne Arundel Counties
all at high risk of wind events.
Flash and Riverine Flooding: Two types of flooding are
associated with rivers and streams: flash and riverine. Flash
flooding results from a combination of rainfall intensity and
duration and is influenced further by local topography and
the ground’s capacity to hold water. Flash floods also can
result from the sudden release of water from the breakup of
an ice jam or a dam failure.
Heavy Rain: A heavy rain event is defined by the NWS
as rainfall that does not necessarily cause flooding but does
cause locally significant damage, such as crop damage or
roof collapse. In Maryland, most heavy rain events occur
from May to September, due to thunderstorm activity. The
greatest concentration of heavy rain events occur in June
and July. There is considerable variation in the number of
heavy rain events from year to year, with no distinguishable
trend over time. Over the past 30 years, Maryland has
recorded an annual average of nearly 18 events. The most
heavy rain events ever recorded were 118 in 2000.
NOAA/NWS Allegany County, 1996 Flood
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THUNDERSTORMS
More than half of all flash flood deaths occur when
motorists are trapped in their cars by rapidly rising water.
Over the past 30 years, Maryland has averaged two riverine
flooding events annually.
These events typically occur during the thunderstorm
season, between May and September. On average, nearly
half of the flash flood events in Maryland occur in June and
July. In contrast to the intense rainfalls that typify flash flooding
events, riverine flooding is caused by persistent moderate
or heavy rain over one or more days, sometimes combined
with snowmelt, causing a river to slowly rise and overflow its
banks. Rivers may take several days or even weeks to rise
over their banks, providing enough warning for people to
move to higher ground. River floods can last for weeks and
can inundate very large areas or entire regions.
Nationally, flooding is the most common, most
destructive, and deadliest natural hazard. Nearly 90 percent
of Presidential Disaster Declarations involve flooding. Annual
flood damage nationwide averages $6 billion. Flooding is a
persistent concern in Maryland, a coastal state with over 12
percent of its surface area in floodplains and nearly 8,000
miles of tidal shoreline associated with the Chesapeake Bay
and its tributaries.
The frequency of flash flood events is greatest in
Frederick and Montgomery Counties, followed by
Allegany, Carroll, Garrett, and Anne Arundel Counties.
The frequency of riverine flooding by jurisdiction shows
Frederick and Garrett Counties are at the highest risk for
riverine flooding, approximately one event every three
years with Montgomery and Washington Counties the next
highest at risk.
Photographer: Mike Berna
Photographer: Mike Berna
Flood Safety Tips:
✔ Monitor the NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio or
your favorite news source for vital weather related
information.
✔ If flooding occurs, get to higher ground. Get out of
areas subject to flooding. This includes dips, low spots,
canyons, washes, etc.
✔ Avoid areas already flooded, especially if the water is
flowing fast. Do not attempt to cross flowing streams.
Turn Around Don’t Drown™
✔ Road beds may be washed out under flood waters.
NEVER drive through flooded roadways. Turn Around
Don’t Drown™
✔ Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams and
washes, particularly during threatening conditions.
✔ Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to
recognize flood dangers.
12
WINTER HAZARDS
WINTER HAZARDS
Maryland’s three western counties, particularly Garrett
County, can experience lake-effect snow originating
from Lake Erie. Unlike Nor’easters and their associated
Atlantic moisture, lake-effect snow is associated with
small to moderate amounts of Great Lakes moisture
being uplifted and deposited as heavy snow. Allegany and
Garrett Counties experience the highest risk for snow.
Washington, Frederick, Carroll, and Baltimore Counties
and Baltimore City are at a medium-high snow risk. The
four contiguous counties on the lower Eastern Shore,
(Dorchester, Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico) have a
low risk for snow.
The NWS issues winter storm warnings when
snowfall is expected to accumulate more than 4 inches
in 12 hours. Severe snow storms can significantly slow
traffic and commerce, causing power outages, disrupting
communications, and causing buildings to collapse.
Hazards associated with winter involve dangers due to
exposure to cold, snow, sleet, ice, and wind chill.
Snow: Many of the major winter storms that affect Maryland
are known as “Nor’easters” because they are accompanied
by strong northeast winds. The storms often form in the Gulf
of Mexico, intensify, and move up the coast. High pressure
systems over the Maritime Provinces of Canada deliver the
cold air to Nor’easters that result in winter precipitation.
NOAA/NWS Veteran’s Day Storm 1987
The heaviest snow with a Nor’easter often occurs in a
band 50 to 100 miles wide. Precipitation along this band
typically changes from snow in the west to a transition area
of freezing rain and sleet then finally to rain in the east.
Counties west of the Chesapeake Bay are more likely to
experience snow or mixed precipitation. Eastern Shore
counties are more likely to experience rain, as warmer
easterly winds off the ocean erode the cold air dam.
Courtesy of You Tube, ice damage to trees and power lines.
Ice: A “pure ice” storm is rare in Maryland, where near-
freezing temperatures are more likely to produce a mix
of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow. Freezing rain is rain
that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing,
causing it to form a coating or glaze of ice. Sleet is defined
as raindrops that freeze into ice pellets before reaching the
ground. Sleet usually bounces when hitting a surface and
typically does not stick to objects, though it can accumulate
like snow and become a hazard to motorists.
The term “ice storm” is used by the NWS to describe a
storm that produces a significant accumulation of ice during
a freezing rain event. An accumulation of a quarter inch or
more of ice is termed “glaze” and can trigger a winter storm
warning.
Repair crews responding to power outages, Feb. 2010
13
WINTER HAZARDS
Winter Safety Tips
✔ Keep ahead of advancing winter weather by listening to the
media and monitoring NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio.
✔ An ice storm will take down power lines, knocking out
electricity. Check battery-powered equipment before
the storm arrives.
✔ Check your food and stock an extra supply. Include food
that requires no cooking in case of power failure. If there
are infants or people who need medication, make sure
you have a supply of the proper food and medicine. Make
sure pets and animals have shelter and a water supply.
✔ If appropriate, check your supply of heating fuel. Fuel
carriers may not be able to reach you due to closed roads.
✔ Be careful when using fireplaces, stoves, or space
heaters. Proper ventilation is essential to avoid a deadly
build-up of carbon monoxide. Don’t use charcoal inside
as it gives off large amounts of carbon monoxide. Keep
flammable material away from space heaters and do not
overload electric circuits.
✔ Dress for the conditions when outdoors. Wear several
layers of lightweight, warm clothing; layers can be
removed to prevent perspiring and subsequent chill.
Outer garments should be tightly woven, waterproof
and hooded. For the hands, mittens, snug at the wrists,
offer better protection than fingered gloves.
✔ Don’t kill yourself shoveling snow. It is extremely hard
work for anyone in less than prime physical condition.
It can bring on a heart attack, a major cause of death
during and after winter storms.
✔ Your automobile can be your best friend or worst
enemy during winter storms. Get your car winterized
before winter arrives. The following items should be
checked: ignition system, cooling system, fuel system,
battery, lights, tires, heater, brakes, wipers, defroster, oil,
and exhaust system. Keep water out of your fuel tank by
keeping it full.
✔ If you travel often during winter, carry a winter storm
kit in your car. It should include: flashlight, windshield
scraper, paper towels, extra clothes, matches/candles,
booster cables, compass, maps, sand, chains, blankets,
and high calorie non-perishable food and water.
✔ Winter travel by car is serious business. If the storm
exceeds or tests your driving ability, seek available
shelter immediately.
✔ Plan your travel. Try not to travel alone; drive in a convoy
when possible.
✔ Drive carefully and defensively. Pump your breaks when
trying to stop on snow or ice covered roads.
Source: NWS, 2001. Wind-Chill Temperature Index.
Even small accumulations of ice can be hazardous,
making walking and driving extremely dangerous. Significant
accumulations of ice can down trees and utility lines,
resulting in loss of power and communication. To produce
this amount of ice, freezing rain usually has to fall for several
hours.
Generally, the pattern for frequency of ice events has
western and central Maryland at a high to medium-high risk
and southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore at a lower
risk for ice events.
Extreme cold: NOAA defines extreme cold events as
events with temperatures that are “much colder than normal
for a given location,” based on the location’s climate zone.
Exposure to extreme cold temperatures, even for a short
period of time, can result in hypothermia, frostbite, or even
death.
Wind greatly increases the dangers of frostbite and
hypothermia by drawing heat from the body, which decreases
skin temperature and eventually body temperature. The windchill index attempts to quantify the cooling effect of wind with
the actual outside air temperature to determine a wind-chill
temperature that represents how cold people and animals
feel, based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin.
A wind-chill index of minus 5 indicates that the combined
effects of wind and temperature on exposed flesh are
the same as if the air temperature alone were 5 degrees
below zero, even though the actual temperature could
be much higher. The NWS issues a wind-chill advisory
when wind-chill temperatures are potentially hazardous,
and a wind-chill warning when the situation can be
life-threatening.
14
DROUGHTS AND EXTREME HEAT
DROUGHTS AND
EXTREME HEAT
Although the simplest definition of drought may be “an
extended period of dry weather,” there are actually four
different types of drought.
Meteorological drought: The departure of measured
precipitation from normal. Due to climatic differences,
what is considered a drought in one location may not be
a drought in another.
Agricultural drought: The amount of moisture in the
soil no longer meets the needs of a particular crop.
Hydrological drought: Surface and subsurface water
supplies below normal.
Socioeconomic drought: The situation that occurs
when physical water shortages begin to affect people.
NOAA/NWS, 1999 Middle River Watershed Fish Kill
the “heat index,” a measure of how hot the weather actually
feels when the effects of temperature and humidity are
combined.
The higher-risk counties average about two events
per year, whereas the lower-risk counties experience as
few as one event every three or four years. The lower risk
is in the southern Eastern Shore and Garrett County. This
is most likely due to the southern Eastern Shore counties’
close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay,
and Garrett County’s higher elevation. The highest risk for
extreme heat is in the eastern part of Maryland, from Cecil
to Talbot and Caroline Counties.
Droughts: Droughts can cause damage not only to
crops, but also to livestock and wildlife. During a prolonged
drought, land values can decrease and unemployment can
increase. Water restrictions implemented during a drought
can have a negative economic impact on water-dependent
businesses. Maryland generally experiences average to
higher-than-average stream flow. However, it is normal for
Maryland to experience drought cycles.
The risk for drought is higher in the central and western
part of the State and is lowest on the lower Eastern Shore.
The highest drought risk is in Allegany, Baltimore, Carroll,
Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Washington
Counties. Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties,
and Ocean City experience the lowest drought risk.
Crop damage caused by drought is the highest in
Allegany and Carroll Counties. The crop damage pattern
for Maryland indicates that areas in eastern and southern
Maryland are at a lower risk than the rest of the State.
HIGH
Extreme Heat: Extreme heat is an easily overlooked but
80°F - 90°F
Fatigue possible with prolonged
exposure and physical activity.
90°F - 105°F
Sunstroke, heat cramps and heat
exhaustion possible.
105°F - 130°F
Sunstroke, heat cramps, and heat
exhaustion likely, and heat stroke
possible.
130°F or greater
Heat stroke highly likely with
continued exposure.
Heat Wave Safety Tips
nonetheless, serious hazard, particularly for certain at-risk
populations, such as the elderly, the very young, and people
with mental illness and chronic diseases. However, even
young and healthy individuals can succumb to heat if they
participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather.
In addition to posing a hazard to people, livestock, and
crops, extreme heat can cause water shortages, fire hazards,
increased energy demands, and damage to infrastructure.
Episodes of extreme heat are typically characterized by
high temperature and high humidity. The NWS has devised
Possible Heat Disorder:
✔ Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced,
eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the
day. Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available
place, not necessarily indoors.
✔ Dress for summer. Lightweight, light-colored clothing
reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain
normal temperatures.
✔ Put less food in your body. Foods (like proteins) that increase
metabolic heat production also increase water loss.
15
DROUGHTS AND EXTREME HEAT
Wild Fires/Brush Fires: Wildfires are a hazard associated
with prolonged drought and fueled by natural cover, including
native and non-native species of trees, brush and grasses,
and crops. While available fuel, topography, and weather
provide the conditions that cause wildfires to spread, most
wildfires are ignited by people through criminal or accidental
misuse of fire and lightning strikes. Lightning is responsible
for only 2 percent of all wildfires in Maryland, which is below
the estimated national average of 8.4 percent.
Wildfires pose serious threats to human safety and
property in rural and suburban areas. They can destroy
crops, timber resources, recreation areas, and habitat for
wildlife. Wildfires are commonly perceived as hazards of
the western part of the country; however, wildfires are a
growing problem in the wildland/urban interface of the
eastern United States, including Maryland.
Wildfires are a growing natural hazard in most regions
of the United States, posing a threat to life and property,
particularly where native ecosystems meet developed areas.
✔ Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids. Your
body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids
even if you don’t feel thirsty. Consult a physician before
increasing consumption of fluids if you: (1) have epilepsy or
heart, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on a fluid restrictive
diet, or (3) have a problem with fluid retention.
✔ Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
✔ Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.
✔ Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air
conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly
reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air
conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot
weather) in an air-conditioned environment provides
some protection.
✔ Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat
dissipation that much more difficult.
Know These Heat Disorder Symptoms
SUNBURN: Redness and pain. In severe cases swelling of
skin, blisters, fever, headaches. First Aid: Ointments for mild
cases if blisters appear and do not break. If breaking occurs,
apply dry sterile dressing. Serious, extensive cases should
be seen by a physician.
HEAT CRAMPS: Painful spasms usually in muscles of legs
and possibly in the abdomen and heavy sweating. First Aid: Firm
pressure on cramping muscles, or gentle massage to relieve
spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue.
HEAT EXHAUSTION: Heavy sweating, weakness, skin
cold, pale and clammy. Pulse thready. Normal temperature
possible. Fainting and vomiting. First Aid: Get victim out of
sun. Lay victim down and loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet
cloths. Fan or move victim to air-conditioned room. Provide
sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue. If vomiting
continues, seek immediate medical attention.
HEAT STROKE (or sunstroke): High body temperature
(106° F or higher). Victim has hot dry skin, rapid and strong
pulse, and possibly unconsciousness. First Aid: HEAT STROKE
IS A SEVERE MEDICAL EMERGENCY. CALL 911 TO
SUMMON EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR
GET THE VICTIM TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY. DELAY
CAN BE FATAL. Move the victim to a cooler environment and
reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging. Remove
clothing. Use fans and air conditioners. If the temperature rises
again, repeat the process. Do not give fluids. Persons on salt
restrictive diets should consult a physician before increasing
their salt intake.
Courtesy of Maryland Wildland Fire Crew members (MDS#1) from the
Blackerby Fire, Grangeville, ID, 2005.
However, because fire is a natural (and often beneficial)
process, fire suppression can lead to more severe fires due
to the buildup of vegetation, which creates more fuel. In
addition, the secondary effects of wildfires, including erosion,
landslides, introduction of invasive species, and changes in
water quality, are often more disastrous than the fire itself.
The U.S. Geological Service, in conjunction with the
U.S. Forest Service and other partners, provides tools and
information by identifying wildfire risks and ways to reduce
wildfire hazards, providing real-time firefighting support,
and assessing the aftermath of wildfires. The goal is to build
more resilient communities and ecosystems.
16
TIDAL AND COASTING FLOODING/
EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS
TIDAL and COASTAL
FLOODING
Rip currents can be killers. The United States Lifesaving
Association estimates that the annual number of deaths due
to rip currents on our nation’s beaches exceeds 100. Rip
currents account for over 80 percent of rescues performed
by surf beach lifeguards.
The greatest safety precaution that can be taken is to
recognize the danger of rip currents and always remember
to swim at beaches with lifeguards.
Coastal or tidal flooding is the inundation of land areas
along the coast by waters over and above normal tidal action,
originating from oceans, back bays, sounds, or other bodies
of water.
The NWS issues a coastal flood watch when conditions
are favorable for tidal flooding or storm-induced flooding
along coastal areas within 12 to 36 hours. A coastal flood
warning is issued when tidal flooding or storm-induced
flooding is occurring, imminent, or highly likely along coastal
areas within 12 hours.
Learn How to Swim!
When at the beach:
✔ Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected
beach.
✔ Never swim alone.
✔ Learn how to swim in the surf. It’s not the same as
swimming in a pool or lake.
✔ Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at
unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out.
✔ Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.
Lifeguards are trained to identify potential hazards. Ask
a lifeguard about the conditions before entering the
water. This is part of the job.
✔ Stay at least 100 feet away from piers and jetties.
Permanent rip currents often exist along side these
structures.
✔ Consider using polarized sunglasses when at the beach.
They will help you to spot signatures of rip currents by
cutting down glare and reflected sunlight off the ocean’s
surface.
✔ Pay especially close attention to children and elderly
when at the beach. Even in shallow water, wave action
can cause loss of footing.
Courtesy of Wunderground, Ocean City, MD, Flooding from 2009
Nor’easter
Coastal flooding typically occurs when a slowmoving coastal storm generates persistent easterly winds.
Sometimes, strong high-pressure systems located over
eastern Canada or the Canada Maritimes combine
with coastal storms to generate very persistent, strong
northeasterly winds for several days, which can produce
significant coastal flooding.
In Maryland, tidal flooding can occur along the
Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays and their tidal tributaries,
as well as the Atlantic shore. Because the Chesapeake Bay
is shallow and long, astronomical tides take more than 12
hours to move from one end of the Bay to the other. Coastal
flooding is a common annual event for Maryland coastal
communities, particularly from late fall through early spring,
when Nor’easters are most prevalent.
EARTHQUAKES and
TSUNAMIS
Earthquakes: An earthquake is the sudden shaking of the
ground caused by a release of energy stored in the earth’s
crust. Once a critical threshold is reached within the earth’s
crust, the stored energy is released as the rock ruptures and
slippage occurs along the fault line.
Earthquake frequency is low for all Maryland jurisdictions.
Howard County has the highest frequency rate with 0.126
earthquakes per year, due to the swarms of tremors that
occurred in the 1990’s. Based on recent earthquake activity
in Howard County and in nearby areas in adjacent states,
Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents of water
flowing away from shore. They typically extend from the
shoreline, through the surf zone, and past the line of breaking
waves. Rip currents can occur at any beach with breaking
waves, including the Great Lakes.
17
EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS
Maryland is rated by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) as having a moderate earthquake potential.
Tsunamis: The term tsunami comes from the Japanese,
meaning “Harbor” and “wave”. Tsunamis are sometimes
referred to as tidal waves. In recent years, this term has
fallen out of favor, especially in the scientific community,
because tsunami actually has nothing to do with ocean tides.
Tsunami and tides both produce waves of water that move
inland, but in the case of a tsunami, the inland movement of
water is much greater and lasts for a longer period, giving
the impression of an incredibly high tide.
NOAA/NWS Tsunami damage
Tsunami Warning System (TWS): is a system to detect
until a reliable model is able to predict which earthquakes
will produce significant tsunamis, this approach will produce
many more false alarms than verified warnings.
As in weather forecast and warning, no system can
protect against a very sudden tsunami. A devastating
tsunami occurred off the coast of Hokkaido in Japan as a
result of an earthquake on July 12, 1993. As a result, 202
people on the small island of Okushiri, Hokkaido lost their
lives, and hundreds more were missing or injured. This
tsunami struck just three to five minutes after the quake, and
most victims were caught while fleeing for higher ground
and secure places after surviving the earthquake. While
there remains the potential for sudden devastation from a
tsunami, warning systems can be effective.
The first part of a tsunami to reach land is called
a drawback. Drawback occurs when water along the
shoreline recedes dramatically, exposing normally
submerged areas. This happens because the fault sinks
suddenly during the earthquake, causing the overlaying
water to surge outward with the wave at its front. Drawback
begins before the wave arrives. If the slope of the coastal
seabed is small, drawback can exceed hundreds of meters.
People unaware of the danger sometimes remain near the
shore to satisfy their curiosity or to collect fish from the
exposed seabed. Drawbacks can serve as a brief warning.
People who observe drawback can survive only if they
immediately run for high ground or seek the upper floors of
nearby buildings.
tsunamis and issue warnings to prevent loss of life and
property. It consists of two equally important components: a
network of sensors to detect tsunamis and a communications
infrastructure to issue timely alarms permitting timely
evacuation of coastal areas.
There are two distinct types of tsunami warning systems:
international and regional. Both depend on the fact that, while
tsunamis travel at up to 500 mph in open water, earthquakes
can be detected almost at once as seismic waves travel with
a typical speed of nearly 12,000 mph. This allows time for
a possible tsunami forecast to be made and warnings to
be issued to threatened areas, if warranted. Unfortunately,
For additional information on these and other natural hazards, you may visit NOAA’s Severe
Weather Watch Page at http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/severe.php.
Information on storm tracking and naming conventions are a few examples of information
contained in the NOAA Watch and Learn website.
18
RADIO FREQUENCIES & EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
NOAA radio frequencies
162.400 MHz (Baltimore)
162.475 MHz (Hagerstown)
162.400 MHz (Heathsville)
162.500 MHz (Gregg Knob)
162.400 MHz (Moorefield)
162.500 MHz (Sudlersville)
162.425 MHz (Frostburg)
162.550 MHz (Lewes)
162.475 MHz (Salisbury)
162.550 MHz (Manassas)
162.475 MHz (Philadelphia)
Emergency Alert System (EAS)
County
Allegany
Allegany
Allegany
Allegany
Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel
Baltimore Metro
Baltimore Metro
Baltimore Metro
Calvert
Calvert
Calvert
Calvert
Caroline
Caroline
Carroll
Carroll
Cecil
Cecil
Charles
Charles
Charles
Dorchester
Dorchester
Dorchester
Frederick
Frederick
Frederick
Garrett
Garrett
Garrett
Garrett
Garrett
Harford
Harford
Harford
Call Letters
WFRB
WFRB
WKGO
WTBO
WBAL
WHFS
WNAV
WBAL
WIYY
WPOC
WPRS
WMDM
WPTX
WSMD
WCEI
WEMD
WZBA
WTTR
WJSS
WXCY
WMDM
WPRS
WWGB
WCEM
WCEM
WSCL
WFMD
WXTR
WFRE
WFRB
WFRB
WKHJ
WMSG
WWHC
WHFC
WBAL
WXCY
AM/FM
FM
AM
FM
AM
AM
FM
AM
AM
FM
FM
FM
FM
AM
FM
FM
AM
FM
AM
AM
FM
FM
FM
AM
FM
AM
FM
AM
AM
FM
FM
AM
FM
AM
FM
FM
AM
FM
County
Dial
Howard
Howard
Howard
Kent
Kent
Montgomery
Montgomery
Montgomery
Ocean City
Prince George's
Prince George's
Prince George's
Prince George's
Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's
Somerset
Somerset
Somerset
Somerset
Somerset
St. Mary's
St. Mary's
St. Mary's
Talbot
Talbot
Washington
Washington
Wicomico
Wicomico
Wicomico
Wicomico
Worcester
Worcester
105.3
560
106.1
1450
1090
99.1
1430
1090
97.9
93.1
104.1
97.7
1690
98.3
96.7
1460
100.7
1470
1330
103.7
97.7
104.1
1030
106.3
1240
89.5
930
820
99.9
105.3
560
104.5
1050
92.3
91.1
1090
103.7
Call Letters
WBAL
WIYY
WPOC
WCTR
WKHS
WGTS
WPGC
WXLE
WWFG
WBIG
WMAL
WPGC
WILC
WCEI
WEMD
WCTR
WNAV
WBEY
WOLC
WQHQ
WESM
WSCL
WKIK
WMDM
WPTX
WCEI
WEMD
WJEJ
WAYZ
WQHQ
WSCL
WTGM
WLVW
WQHQ
WSCL
AM/FM
AM
FM
FM
AM
FM
FM
FM
AM
FM
FM
AM
FM
AM
FM
AM
AM
AM
FM
FM
FM
FM
FM
AM
FM
AM
FM
AM
AM
FM
FM
FM
AM
FM
FM
FM
Dial
1090
97.9
93.1
1530
90.5
91.5
95.5
1600
99.9
100.3
630
95.5
900
96.7
1460
1530
1430
96.9
102.5
104.7
93.1
89.5
1560
97.7
1690
96.7
1460
1240
104.7
104.7
89.5
960
105.5
104.7
89.5
For more information . . .
Call your local emergency management office.
State: Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
877-MEMA-USA (877-636-2872) • 410-517-3600
www.mema.state.md.us
County
Phone
Allegany ................................301-777-5908
Anne Arundel ......................410-222-0600
Baltimore ..............................410-887-5996
Calvert ...................................410-535-1623
Caroline ................................410-479-2622
Carroll ...................................410-386-2290
Cecil .......................................410-996-5350
Charles ..................................301-609-3402
Dorchester ...........................410-228-1818
Frederick ..............................301-600-1746
Garrett ..................................301-334-7619
Harford ..................................410-638-4900
Howard...................................410-313-6030
Kent ........................................410-778-3758
Montgomery .......................240-777-2300
Prince George’s .................301-883-3308
Queen Anne’s .....................410-758-4500
St. Mary’s ..............................301-475-4200
Somerset ...............................410-651-0707
19
Talbot ......................................410-770-8160
Washington ..........................240-313-4394
Wicomico .............................410-548-4820
Worcester .............................410-632-1311
Municipal
Phone
Baltimore City ......................410-396-6175
City of Annapolis.................410-216-9167
Ocean City ...........................410-723-6619
MEXICO
96
95
W
Galveston
93
Lake Charles
94
92
LOUISIANA
Gulfport
Pensacola
ALABAMA
Mobile
Cozumel
85
W
83
WV
80
W
MD
VT
CT
Boston
NH
MA
RI
TURKS
& CAICOS IS.
72
71
69
66
Bermuda
Anguilla
VIRGIN
ISLANDS
64
63
Antigua
62
61
60
W
Trinidad
Tobago
Grenada
St. Vincent
St. Lucia
Martinique
Dominica
Guadeloupe
St. Croix
65
W
Cape Sable
San Juan
67
VENEZUELA
PUERTO RICO
68
Currcao
Cape Cod
70
W
Santo
Domingo
HAITI DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
Atlantic City
COLUMBIA
74
Y
NC
MENT AGE
GE
LONGITUDE (in degrees)
75
W
73
Port-au-Prince
Guantanamo
76
NYC
NJ
Ocean City
Cape Hatteras
Norfolk
DE
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA
Washington
DC
VIRGINIA
Nassau
77
Camagüey
78
JAMAICA
Balboa
79
Kingston
Cape Romaine
Wilmington
NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTH
CAROLINA
81
CUBA
Charleston
Savannah
Jacksonville
Cape Canaveral
Miami
W. Palm
Beach
FLORIDA
82
PANAMA
CAYMAN
ISLANDS
Havana
Key West
Ft. Myers
Tampa
GEORGIA
84
COSTA
RICA
NICARAGUA
86
AS
Belize City
Puerto Cortés
87
HONDURAS
88
M
89
EL SALVADOR
90
W
HA
91
GUATEMALA
BELIZE
Campeche
Merida
New Orleans
MISSISSIPPI
TRACKING THE HURRICANE
TEXAS
Corpus Christi
97
Veracruz
Brownsville
Tampico
98
Alcapulco
101 100 99
W
BA
MA
Governor
Martin O’Malley’
Lt. Governor
Anthony G. Brown
MEMA Executive Director
Richard Muth
59
58
57
56
55
W
54
53
52
51
49
N
50
W
48
47
46
45
W
44
43
42
41
40 N
39
38
37
36
35 N
34
33
32
31
30 N
29
28
27
26
25 N
24
23
22
21
20 N
19
18
17
16
15 N
14
13
12
11
10 N
9
8
7
LATITUDE (in degrees)
You can track the path of
the hurricane using
locational information
provided by NOAA
Weather Radio or TV
weather channels. Using
the Hurricane Tracking
Map, find the longitude and
latitude of the storm and put
an "X" on that spot*. Every
few hours, mark the spot of
the new longitude and
latitude, and you can see
the progress of the storm.
NCY MAN
A
GE
*One important note: thus
the impact of an average
storm can extend 125 miles
on either side of the
location.
LAND EME
R
RY

Natural Hazards Preparedness Guide - pg

Transcription

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