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The Rain's Coming, But Not as Much

Path Projection of Hurricane Joaquin
National Weather Service
Path Projection of Hurricane Joaquin

Despite the flood warnings and watches for the region  there is an expectation that the rain will be less than at first forecast.

Initially it was expected to be as much as 11 inches but that has now dropped to 4-to-6 inches.
One reason is that Hurricane Joaquin is expected to pass by the region much further from the coast.

Still the path of the storm is not clear.

Much of the rain began to fall yesterday and is expected to continue through Saturday.

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Local residents on the Eastern Shore take rain in stride.

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State of Emergency

Hurricane Joaquin in the Bahamas
Credit NOAA
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NOAA
Hurricane Joaquin in the Bahamas

Nonetheless, the governors of Virginia and Maryland have declared states of emergency…to allow for emergency responders to begin their preparations.

Meanwhile, Ocean City has granted liberal leave for its town employees as property owners in in Zones A and B are being warned to prepare for moderate flooding.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that Ocean City expects high tide to be around a half-foot less than during Hurricane Sandy.

The paper reports that state officials are also worried about beach erosion with heavy winds and 8 to 11 foot waves.

Cancelations

Relay for Life for Wicomico County
Credit Relay for Life website
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Relay for Life website
Relay for Life for Wicomico County

Among the community cancelations the Salisbury Daily Times reports are this weekend’s Relay for Life for Wicomico County and the Life Crisis Center 5 K have been called off.

The STARS basketball for this afternoon at Bennett Middle School has been canceled today and will take place next Friday.

The Seagull Century for Saturday has also been called off.

The Crisfield Outdoor Expo has also been postponed until next May.

Meanwhile, the NASCAR Showcase and Hauler Parade at the Blue Hen Corporate Center in Dover have also been canceled for this afternoon.

In Cambridge, IRONMAN Maryland has been canceled for tomorrow and will take place on October 17th.

The Wings and Wheels Festival in Georgetown has also been called off but the Aviation Education Day Expo and Wings and Wheels Dinner and Show will take place.

The campus and sports events on the campuses of Salisbury University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore have also been canceled.

(See Salisbury Daily Times)

Maryland Agriculture Department

Credit creative commons
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creative commons

The Maryland Agriculture is urging the farming community to contact their local emergency center for help with livestock, including horses should the weather become too severe.

In addition, state officials urge farmers to move all their poultry and livestock to high ground and shelter them in secured structures.

They also say that if the animals are evacuated owners should take all of their immunization and health records with them along with an emergency kit and sufficient hay for horses for a minimum of a 48 hour period.

Maryland Department of Agriculture also reminds farmers to stay in close contact with their crop insurance agent should Hurricane Joaquin damage any of their unharvested corn or soybeans.

In Maryland, approximately 56 percent of corn acres are not yet harvested and soybean harvest has not yet started, according to the most recent National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Progress Report.  

Farmers are responsible for notifying their agent within 72 hours of discovering crop damage, continuing to care for the crop as normal and obtaining permission from the insurance company before destroying any crops.

Farmers who are unable to take corn or soybean crops to harvest should contact their insurance company before taking action. In times of loss, a crop insurance agent should be the first contact.

For more information about disaster planning, contact the Maryland Emergency Management Agency at 1-877-MEMA-USA or log on to www.mema.maryland.gov.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.