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Baltimore City is taking significant steps as the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby head toward our region.

Tropical Storm Debby is currently heading up the East Coast and could bring heavy rainfall, tidal flooding, possible tornadoes, and gusty winds including gale-force winds over bodies of water.

According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to impact the Baltimore region beginning Thursday afternoon, with the most intense impact occurring late Thursday or Friday.

On Thursday, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated.

Baltimore City Recreation and Parks has canceled all outdoor permitted events and all outdoor recreation activities, including BCRP-sponsored summer camps.

Additionally, all pools between Thursday and Saturday will be closed, including the Teen Pool Party scheduled for Friday night.

The Mayor’s office announced that an emergency shelter will be opened on Friday and Saturday at Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center. The Rec Center will close early at 6 p.m. on Thursday to make way for preparations.

The mayor shared that the City will monitor the impact of storm damage as the storm progresses and is taking steps that would allow for the quick opening of additional emergency shelter locations if needed.

The Parking Authority of Baltimore City is making space in neighborhood City-owned parking facilities available to residents in Fells Point to park their cars in. The storm is predicted to bring flooding to Fells Point.

Parking will be 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. 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
• Caroline Street Garage
• Little Italy Parking Garage

The city also encourages residents to take steps to protect themselves, family members, and property by preparing for the storm’s arrival.

• 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)
• Adults with chronic illnesses should have contingency plans to make sure they’re well stocked up on medicine, especially those that require refrigeration.

Additionally, all outdoor belongings should be secured, including furniture on steps, patios, decks, and yards.

Turn around, don’t drown! If a traffic control barrier has been placed in the road don’t drive around it. Flood waters are always deeper and move quicker than they seem to be.

The city will monitor road conditions to ensure residents are safe if flooding occurs. Also, never use a generator inside your home!  Keep generators at least 20 feet from your house and ensure they are not near any openings that could let in carbon monoxide. The gas is odorless and kills silently. When you need to refuel the generator, turn it off and let it cool down for about 15-20 minutes.

As the city continues to clean up storm debris from this past weekend, if you see leaves, sticks, branches, and litter, causing blockages in storm drains please call 311. The remaining debris could cause additional flooding. 311 should be called for any storm service requests such as downed trees, traffic signals experiencing outages, or sewage backups

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How To Prepare For Potential Dangerous Conditions Ahead Of The Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby  was originally published on rone92q.staging.go.ione.nyc