Storm Cost Laurel $25K

A batch of violent and left more than a million residents without power drew a price tag in the thousands for the City of Laurel.

As of this week, the city will have spent anywhere from $25,000 to $28,000 in cost related to the storm, a city spokes person told Laurel Patch.

The cost has already outpaced after it pummeled the Washington-Baltimore region in August of last year. According to the city, the hurricane left a $24,000 price tag.

The city spends funds on anything from labor to equipment in the aftermath of a storm. For example, the Laurel Police Department rotated its entire 67 policing staff in the weekend following this month’s storm. And the city Department of Public Works worked well into the night removing debris and down trees from the roadway.

Police Rich McLaughlin said the city’s emergency plan was overwhelmed by the storm’s magnitude and required him to allocate staffing resources. City officers, he said, were focuses on patrolling, visibility, and checking homes.

“We compromised and we tweaked things,” he said. “I have never seen the devastation that I did [after the storm].”

Still, the city may be able to recoup some of the cost spent during the storm.

After Hurricane Irene, the city was illegible for a $14,000 reimbursement from FEMA. Koubek said if there is a presidential declaration, the city could again be eligible for reimbursement.