** UPDATED **

Remnants of Hurricane Debby Bring Rain to Baltimore Region, Flood Watch and Tornado Watch Issued by National Weather Service

UPDATE: A previous version of this release had the incorrect day listed for the late opening of DPW drop-off centers. Drop-off centers will have a delayed opening tomorrow (Friday), not Monday.

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, August 8, 2024) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott issued the following update regarding the City of Baltimore's efforts to confront the impact of the remnants of Hurricane Debby as it moves up the East Coast.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch until Friday, August 9 at 8 p.m. and Tornado Watch until Friday, August 9 at 7 a.m. Additionally, a Coastal Flood Advisory has been issued from Thursday, August 8 at 9 p.m. until Saturday, August 10 at 3 a.m.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated as the city responds to the storm.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through the BMore Alert Mass Notification System. Residents can sign up on the Office of Emergency Management's website at: emergency.baltimorecity.gov/bmore-alert.

Solid Waste Operations Suspended on Friday

Due to the issued weather advisories, all trash, recycling, and street sweeping services scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, August 9th have been canceled. The makeup day for these services will be on Monday, August 12.

Please note that all drop-off centers will have a delayed opening TOMORROW, Friday, at 10 a.m, this includes:

• Northwest Transfer Station, 5030 Reisterstown Road
• Quarantine Road Landfill, 6100 Quarantine Road
• Northwest Residential Drop-off Center, 2840 Sisson Street
• Southwestern Residential Drop-off Center, 701 Reedbird Avenue
• Eastern Residential Drop-off Center, 6101 Bowleys Lane

Flood Related Road Closures

The following flood-prone roads have been closed as a precaution at this time, but reports of significant flooding have not been received as of 8:30 p.m.:

• Thames Street, from Wolfe Street to the Pier
• North Point Road at the AMTRAK underpass (between Quad Avenue and Kane Street)
• Pulaski Highway at the CSX underpass, east of Monument Street

Parking Options for Residents in Low-Lying Areas

The Parking Authority of Baltimore City has made space available in neighborhood City-owned parking facilities for residents in Fells Point to park their cars in as the storm that is predicted to bring flooding to Fells Point.

Parking is free in these garages from Thursday, August 8 starting at 10 a.m. until Saturday, August 10. Spaces are available on a 'first come, first served' basis. The timeframe may be extended based on conditions and on monthly contract parker obligations. Residents will be asked to provide proof of residency at the garages.

The City-owned garage locations within or near Fells Point include:

• Fleet & Eden Garage
  501 S. Eden Street
  Baltimore, MD 21205
• Caroline Street Garage
  805 S. Caroline Street
  Baltimore, Maryland 21231
• Little Italy Parking Garage
  400 S. Central Avenue
  Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Permitted Outdoor Events and Recreation Activities Canceled

Reminder, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks has canceled all outdoor permitted events and all outdoor recreation activities for Friday, August 9th, including BCRP-sponsored summer camps. All recreation centers and special facilities will be closed on Friday, August 9th. Additionally, all pools will remain closed Friday and Saturday. The Teen Pool Party scheduled for Friday night has been canceled. Families connected to impacted recreation activities and camps, as well as those who RSVPed to Friday's canceled Teen Pool Party, will be contacted directly by BCRP staff to ensure they are aware of the cancellation.

Mayor's Office of Homeless Services (MOHS) - Emergency Shelter

An emergency shelter, coordinated by the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services is open now through Saturday at Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center. The Rec Center closed early at 6 p.m. on Thursday to make way for preparations, and the shelter is now available for unhoused or housing insecure residents.

Outreach teams will continue working to encourage residents experiencing housing insecurity to relocate to existing shelters where beds are available.

During the storm, street outreach teams will work to transport anyone still not placed in a shelter to Robert C. Marshall.

In addition to the MOHS emergency shelter, the City will monitor the impact of storm damage as the storm progresses and are taking steps that would allow for the quick opening of additional emergency shelter locations in severely impacted areas. This step will only be taken if necessary following widespread power outages and significant storm damage.

Personal Storm Preparations

The City of Baltimore reminds residents to take steps to protect themselves, family members, and property by making preparations in advance of the storm's arrival on Thursday.

OEM encourages residents to compile a personal emergency kit. These kits often include:

• Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
• Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert.
• Flashlight
• First Aid Kit
• Extra Batteries
• Whistle (to signal for help)

Older adults and those with chronic illness are encouraged to take extra precautions, including contingency plans to manage necessary medications, especially those that require refrigeration.

Residents are encouraged to secure outdoor belongings, including furniture, present on steps, patios, decks, and in yards.

Residents are reminded to avoid standing or moving water. Flood waters are almost always deeper and more swiftly moving than it appears. Attempting to drive through flood waters are responsible for half of flood fatalities. The next highest percentage of flood-related deaths is due to walking into or near flood waters. Residents are reminded of the phrase: Turn around, don't drown! If you see a traffic control barrier in the road, don't drive around it, it has been placed for a reason. The City will monitor road conditions and may close certain roadways to ensure residents are safe in the event of flooding.

Residents are also reminded to ensure the proper use of generators. If you have a generator, do not use a generator inside your home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. Keep them outside of your living spaces and away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come inside. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill silently. Place generators at least 20 feet away from your home, downwind away from open doors, windows and vents. Turn the generator off before refueling, and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Lastly, there remains significant storm debris from last weekend's storm. The City is concerned about remaining storm debris, like leaves, sticks, branches, and litter, causing blockages in storm drains, causing additional localized flooding. City crews have taken actions to clear storm drains before this week's anticipated weather.

If you have storm drains around your property where you can see debris, please take action to clear them or call 311 to help identify locations so that City crews can respond to prevent flooding.

Residents are encouraged to call 311 for any storm related service requests, including downed trees, traffic signals experiencing outages, or sewage backups.