2 Feet Of Flooding Possible When Isaias Reaches Anne Arundel

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD —As Hurricane Isaias travels up the East Coast and gains power, Anne Arundel County shorelines face a coastal flood warning. A coastal flood advisory takes effect at 5 a.m. on Tuesday. The warning starts at noon on Tuesday and will last until 3 a.m. on Wednesday.

Low-lying areas could see 1 to 2 feet of flooding while the warning is in place. The same locations could get up to 6 inches of flooding during the advisory.

Tides are expected to be 2.5 to 3 feet higher than normal. High tides are at 6:42 a.m. and 6:37 p.m., but the storm surge may bring water levels higher at different times.

In Annapolis, a storm surge of 3.5 feet would flood the parking lot at the City Dock, many businesses on Dock Street and part of the Naval Academy's Campus on Boyer Road.

Anne Arundel County enacted its emergency operations center in preparation for the storm. The center will partially open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

“I ask all Anne Arundel County residents to take this storm seriously,” County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a statement. “Please be safe and prepare now for what could be a dangerous day tomorrow. Secure outdoor furniture, prepare for possible power outages and don’t travel tomorrow if you can avoid it. We have a strong team of first responders and emergency management professionals working to keep us safe. If you need assistance, contact the office of emergency management at 410-222-0600.”

TTY users should call via Maryland 7-1-1.

Though Isaias has progressed from a tropical storm to a hurricane, Anne Arundel County is still under a tropical storm warning from the National Weather Service. The county also is under a flash flood watch from until 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

There is a 60 to 70 percent probability of experiencing tropical storm force winds (between 39 - 73 miles per hour), beginning early Tuesday morning and continuing through late Tuesday evening. Winds could cause scattered wind damage and power outages.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m., officials said the storm was about 470 miles south-southwest of Baltimore and was moving north-northeast at 16 mph.

“Our state is taking every precaution to prepare for the effects of Tropical Storm Isaias—which could include heavy rain, damaging winds, and flash flooding—and I urge all Marylanders to do the same,” Gov. Larry Hogan said. “Stay tuned to your local news stations for the latest updates, listen to state and local authorities, and most importantly, plan and prepare.”

Wind gusts may reach 75 mph in Annapolis and up to 50 mph in Baltimore, according to the National Weather Service. Sustained winds of 40 mph could blow through the region Tuesday morning through Tuesday afternoon during the tropical storm warning period.

Isaias is expected to dump 3 to 6 inches of rain or more between Monday night and Tuesday evening in Maryland. Residents are advised to begin preparing for extensive flood damage and some wind damage now. The threat is highest along and east of the Interstate 95 corridor.

RELATED:

• Hurricane Isaias Aims For MD, Tropical Storm Warning Continues
• Officials Activate Anne Arundel Emergency Operations Center
• Annapolis Prepares For Hurricane Isaias

Maryland Patch Editors Kristin Danley-Greiner and Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting to this article.

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