O’Malley: 75,000 Power Outages, Sandy Picking Up Speed

Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall between 8 and 10 p.m. Monday, Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a 5 p.m. press conference.

The number of Maryland residents without power reached 75,000 just after 5 p.m., O’Malley said at Maryland Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Reisterstown.

“The storm is becoming stronger in her center with 90 mile an hour winds,” O’Malley said. “The good news is she’s moving faster.”

If the storms continue to move fast, it may be in Maryland for a shorter time than the originally predicted 24 to 36 hours, O’Malley said.

In addition to power outages, the number of which will increase, the state is monitoring flooding. Five to six inches of rain have already fallen, and another six inches is expected to fall overnight. Garrett County will receive approximately two feet of snow, O’Malley said.

Rivers and streams are expected to flood for the next several days.

The Potomac River is expected to swell three feet above normal, and high tide in Ocean City, which is at 8:25 p.m., is expected to be six feet higher than normal, the governor said.

The Bay Bridge, Hatem Bridge and Key Bridge are now closed. The Tidings Bridge is not closed, but wind warnings are in effect.

Amtrak cancelled service to the entire northeast corridor for Tuesday, and MTA suspended all local bus, commuter bus, subway and light rail service on Tuesday as well.

There are 36 shelters open statewide that are being run by local jurisdictions, and four shelters being run by the state.

There are no reports of damage to critical infrastructure, and the state will continue to monitor the situation, O’Malley said.