Hurricane Irma: Marylanders Urged To Prepare For Storm

BALTIMORE, MD — With Hurricane Irma barreling through the Caribbean, Maryland emergency officials are encouraging residents to prepare in advance.

"Preparing for an emergency before it happens can make a huge difference in our homes and communities," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

The National Weather Service advised that if Hurricane Irma tracks near the mid-Atlantic, it would not be until next week. Flooding rain, damaging winds, tornadoes and tidal flooding are threats Maryland could face, weather officials said. (Get Patch’s real-time news alerts, like us on Facebook or get the free iPhone app.)

Here are the latest updates:

• After rain and a cold-front on Wednesday, Sept. 6, the Maryland forecast calls for sunny skies Thursday through the weekend, with temps topping out in the low 70s. If Hurricane Irma tracks near the mid-Atlantic, it would not be until Monday, Sept. 11, to Wednesday, Sept. 13, the National Weather Service advised.
• A cruise ship out of Baltimore changed course due to Hurricane Irma, according to Carnival Cruise Line. "Currently, six Carnival ships are sailing on modified itineraries to maintain a safe distance from the storm," the company said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. Carrying more than 3,000 people, the Carnival Pride stopped in South Carolina Tuesday before heading toward Nassau in the Bahamas by Thursday, the Charleston Post and Courier reported; its original plan was to go farther east, to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.
• As of 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6, Hurricane Irma was 85 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center. With maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, Hurricane Irma was moving west-northwest at 16 mph, weather officials said.
• The most powerful Atlantic storm ever recorded, the Category 5 hurricane passed over the northernmost Virgin Islands earlier Wednesday. It flattened buildings as it pummeled the Caribbean islands of Barbuda and Antigua and caused widespread flooding on vacation hot spots Saint Bart's and Saint Martin, where CNN reports there were at least two fatalities attributed to the storm.

Watch: Deaths, Destruction Reported As Hurricane Irma Heads Toward Florida

• "Impacts, if any, across the middle Atlantic are still unknown," weather officials said Wednesday.
• The storm may reach Florida by the weekend, after swirling along the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, then following a path along the northern coast of Cuba by Saturday. While it’s still too early to tell the precise impacts Irma might have on Florida or the U.S., forecasters say Irma is expected to remain a major hurricane through the week. The threat Irma poses to Florida prompted Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency Monday for all 67 counties in the state.

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How To Prepare In Maryland

The National Weather Service in Baltimore urges residents to prepare disaster plans and emergency kits.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture advised making plans for pets and livestock.

“Your animals depend on you to be prepared in the event of a disaster situation,” Maryland State Veterinarian Dr. Michael Radebaugh said in a statement. “Take the extra time now to create a comprehensive disaster plan to ensure the safety and well-being of you, your family and your pets and livestock.”

People can stay informed by monitoring the forecasts from the National Weather Service for the Baltimore-Washington area and the National Hurricane Center for refined projections as the storm takes its course.

• Hurricane Irma Keeps Florida In Sights With Georgia, S.C. Under Threat
• Will Hurricane Irma Hit Maryland?

Patch editor Sherri Lonnon contributed to the reporting.

Graphic courtesy of the National Hurricane Center.