MD Governor Declares State Of Emergency For Hurricane Florence

MARYLAND — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency Monday before Hurricane Florence makes landfall. He said it was a "proactive measure" to ensure resources were available if needed.

"We are preparing for the potential of historic catastrophic and life-threatening flooding in Maryland," Hogan said.

Particularly in coastal and low-lying areas as well as those that have already received substantial rainfall in the past few days, Hogan said he wanted to ensure that resources were available.

"While we are hoping for the best, we are preparing for the worst," Hogan said.

Utility companies are preparing for potential outages, and state highway crews are mobilizing, Hogan said.

State shelters are on standby and will be ready to receive displaced residents, Hogan said.

Hogan said he was alerting the National Guard and was in constant contact with the National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center and those in neighboring states that may be impacted by the storm.

Officials in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia have already declared states of emergency to give residents ample time to prepare.

"The state is taking every precaution, and I urge all Marylanders to do the same," Hogan said.

"Start now to prepare your families and your homes for potential heavy rains, wind and possible flooding," Hogan said.

RELATED: Hurricane Florence: How Marylanders Can Prepare

Within the next 24 to 48 hours, Hogan said there would be more information regarding the storm's direction.

“At this time, there's still some uncertainty about the track of the storm and its potential impact," Hogan said. He encouraged residents to look at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency's (MEMA's) "Know Your Zone" site to find out about potential evacuations.

"Things are fast-moving and constantly changing, and we will know a lot more later this evening and into tomorrow," Hogan said.

Declaring the state of emergency Monday afternoon enabled the governor to access resources to ramp up the state's response, like the National Guard, and to receive help from other states.

“A state of emergency is a good indicator that residents should remain alert and follow officials’ orders, news stations, and weather forecasts in order to be informed of the situation," MEMA Executive Director Russell Strickland said in a statement.

Check the National Hurricane Center for hurricane news, the National Weather Service for local alerts and forecasts and Ready.gov for storm preparation tips.

National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said Monday that Marylanders should be prepared for the storm, which could bring tropical storm-force winds and downpours with it by Thursday.

"It's not just the coast," Graham said. "This rainfall goes well inland."

By Monday afternoon, Hurricane Florence was a category 4 hurricane located 1,230 miles east southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina.

RELATED: Hurricane Florence May Bring Powerful Storm Surge To MD

(Stay on top of all the latest Hurricane Florence news with our free, real-time news alerts, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

How To Get Ready For Hurricane Florence

• Prepare an emergency kit with first aid supplies.
• Have a three-day supply of food and water available.
• Ensure medications are filled.
• Keep a flashlight and extra batteries ready.
• Have cash on hand in case credit machines are down in an outage.
• Clear your gutters and downspouts.
• Remove loose items from your yard that can become projectiles.
• Ensure cell phones are charged.
• Develop a plan for older individuals and pets.
• Make sure gas tanks are at least half full.

Pictured, the wind arrival times estimated as of 11 p.m. Monday showed that tropical storm-force winds could be in Maryland by Thursday evening. Graphic courtesy of the National Hurricane Center. Also, a NOAA satellite handout image shows Hurricane Florence as it travels west and gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Bermuda on Sept. 10, 2018. Weather predictions say the storm will likely hit the U.S. East Coast as early as Thursday, Sept. 13, bringing massive winds and rain. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)