Maryland Residents, Businesses Preparing For Potential Flooding

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland officials are urging residents and business owners to get prepared for potential flooding as a Nor'easter rolls into our region.

Derek Valcourt reports from Annapolis where preparations are underway for potential flooding.

Down by the city docks in Annapolis, typically an area that gets hit hardest from the flooding, they know to be prepared here.

In fact throughout the state, people who live in some of the low-lying areas know this is time to take action, to get ready in case these heavy rains over the next few days cause problems.

In Fells Point, where flooding is a real threat, homeowners and business owners are racing against the clock to fill sandbags and prepare for the onslaught of heavy rains.

City officials warning residents to have emergency supplies on hand.

"Make sure that you clear your drains around your house and other potential flooding hazards," Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said, "Keep an eye on your neighbors, especially if your neighbors are seniors.

"We don't want to be in the position where we have to come rescue you for a situation that you could have been avoided," police said.

In Annapolis, businesses are taking action now to protect their property and city officials are planning their response for areas that are historically prone to flooding.

"We have some low-lying areas in Eastport that we're concerned about and wind does play a factor" said one Annapolis official, "because if you know that the ground is very saturated so you know that there's a danger of trees falling and lines coming down. So that could mean power outages. So we just have to stay alert, stay on this."

That is going to be the motto for emergency responders around the state for the next 48 hours or more. They will be watching carefully. They'll have crews ready to dispatch if there are problems -- trees go down, power lines go down.

Some drains are part of the big problem in some of the low lying communities, and a lot of cases the water is already really high and it won't take a lot of rain to cause them to back up.

Near waterfront communities in Baltimore County, fire crews are preparing their equipment in case they're need for any water rescues and they are urging residents to take evacuation warnings seriously.

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