Anyone who’s been in Charm City through heavy storms knows the city’s waterways have a propensity to flood. With that in mind, many are warily eyeing Hurricane Matthew’s path this week as the storm makes its way up the East Coast.
However, signs are beginning to point east for the hurricane. According to the Office of Emergency Management in nearby Annapolis, “forecasts currently show Hurricane Matthew shifting east, limiting the impacts to Maryland.”
Marylanders are right to be watchful of Matthew. The AP reports the Category 3 hurricane killed at least 11 of in the Caribbean region and is now settling over the Bahamas before it hits Florida tomorrow.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has told residents to stock up on supplies and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is preparing to evacuate 1 million people from the state’s coast, per the AP. North Carolina has also called a state of emergency for half of the state and are telling Outer Banks dwellers to leave the area, with the storm still projected to hit there this weekend.
Thanks to Matthew, some unlucky Carnival Cruise passengers who left from Baltimore for the Bahamas on Sunday found themselves headed the completely wrong way last night. The Pride cruise ship stopped in New York and is scheduled to head back toward Baltimore tonight, which will take several days. Some passengers told FOX45 they are worried they’ll be heading right into the storm.
However, the latest track from the NOAA shows that even while Matthew may re-strengthen on its way up the coast, it could veer off towards Bermuda after hitting the Carolinas.
“The storm track has shifted several times and it may change again, but this is good news for the Baltimore-Annapolis area,” said Annapolis Office of Emergency Management Deputy Director David Mandell.
If Matthew changes its mind again and comes for the Chesapeake region, Baltimore Gas and Electric is already thinking of its flood- and outage-prone customers.
“We’re continuing to monitor the storm and prepare,” said BGE spokesperson Justin Mulcahy. “We remind customers to keep some basic items on hand, like flashlights, fresh batteries, non-perishable items, and to make contingency plans.”
The utility is not “mobilized” as of Wednesday morning, but will adjust its ranks based on the forecast, Mulcahy said.
If Matthew does avoid Maryland, Baltimoreans won’t have to worry about it affecting the Ravens’ Sunday matchup against the Redskins. Even Carnival cruise passengers returning that day can at least be thankful they won’t be heading into a hurricane.
