Beneficial rain? Remnants of Ian could help offset Maryland, Pennsylvania dry spell

The local Interstate 81 corridor is looking at a wet weekend, but probably not severe weather from the remnants of Hurricane Ian.

"If anything, it might be beneficial, given how dry we've been," Connor Belak, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Thursday.

Still, emergency crews in Washington County, Md., and Franklin County, Pa., are checking equipment and making other preparations in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.

"We do all this preparation so we're ready," Tom Brown, emergency manager in Washington County, said Thursday morning. "But at this point, we are not anticipating this to be a major issue, based on what we know right now."

Storm may 'put down a quick inch or two'

Belak said the National Weather Service forecast anticipates two waves of rain coming through the Washington County area.

The first will start Friday and extend into Saturday.

"This has the potential to put down a quick inch or two," said Belak, who is based at the NWS office in Sterling, Va.

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While the entire weekend might be damp and drizzly, the next wave of rain might arrive late Sunday into Monday. It will bring perhaps a half-inch of rain.

Wind gusts might be stiff, in the range of 20 to 30 mph, during the weekend, he said. But they should not cause widespread damage.

The weather service has issued a similar forecast for Franklin County, said Bill Gartner, a meteorologst with the NWS office in State College, Pa.

Widespread flooding is not anticipated at this point.

Washington County was dry during August, according to local weather observer Greg Keefer's website at i4weather.net.

Through the end of July, the county was tracking for an average amount of precipitation, Keefer's site shows. But for August, the county received less than 3 inches of rain and slipped into a dryer-than-average spell.

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Local governments preparing for the worst, recommend residents prepare, too

Brown said he and other emergency response officials have been talking with weather forecasters — and with each other — during the past few days.

In addition to talking about the weather, they're reviewing plans and making sure their gear, from chain saws to water rescue equipment, is ready if needed.

"We are expecting rainfall to begin sometime tomorrow and last through the first part of the week," R. David Hays, the county's emergency services director, wrote in an email Thursday. "Currently, the forecast is not clear enough to speak to rainfall totals or all resources that will ultimately be needed.  We do believe that information will become more clearer in the next day or so."

Staff members are inventorying portable pumps, generators and fuel supplies as the first step in preparations, he wrote. The county will assess whether additional staff is needed as the local forecast becomes more clear.

Residents also can use this time to review their own emergency preparations, Brown said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers an emergency kit list that includes everything from bottled water to extra batteries and a manual can opener for food.

The website Ready.gov also has tips and plans to help people prepare for hazards and emergencies.

Hagerstown fire, rescue and police are ready, chief says

A Hagerstown city official said Thursday he believes the worst effects from Tropical Storm Ian will be to points east as the system reaches the area over the weekend, but authorities are taking precautions in case things change.

City and county officials, fire and rescue units and police agencies have been consulting with each other to prepare for expected rain to hit the region this weekend due to the storm, Hagerstown Fire Chief Steve Lohr said Thursday afternoon.

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At this point, local officials believe the worst effects from the storm will be to the east, such as the west shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Lohr said.

He said local authorities were planning to join state emergency officials in a conference call at 3:30 p.m. Thursday to learn about the latest on the storm.

In the meantime, local officials are making preparations such as servicing pumps and readying chain saws. Once the system hits this weekend, crews will be out conducting "windshield assessments" to look for any downed trees, power outages and other issues so they can deal with them before they become serious problems, Lohr said.

There are places around town that are always prone to flooding, such as the underpass along Memorial Boulevard. There are gates to the underpass that can be closed in case of high water there.

Memories of 2014 flooding lead to preparation in Clear Spring

Clear Spring Town Manager Juanita Grimm said work crews were clearing street drains and gutters, and the run has been cleared of debris.

Town officials aren't expecting any problems, she said. "We're just trying to be proactive and hoping we don't get what they're calling for."

Clear Spring experienced massive flooding in 2014, when the area was deluged with 3 to 5 inches of rain that caused flash flooding.

C&O Canal, shelters to protect Hancock, residents

Hancock Town Manager Michael Faith said the town's Public Works Department was making sure stormwater drains are "clear and not full of debris; we do a pretty good job of that anyway, but we're making sure."

The forecast "doesn't look like it's gonna be anything crazy," he added, but that will depend on how fast the precipitation comes. He said Hancock has resources such as the Good Samaritan House and Martha's House if anyone needs shelter, "but I don't anticipate needing it."

He said public works staff would be on call all weekend should there be flooding, but he noted that a flood would have to fill the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal before it gets to Hancock's Main Street.

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Chambersburg makes preparations, but storm sewer is secret weapon

Chambersburg Borough Manager Jeff Stonehill said borough crews were ready for whatever Ian might throw at them, but they aren't expecting things to be as bad as it has been in the South East.

"We are basically planning as we would for any potential rain event, including the preparation of equipment, the stand-by scheduling of staff, deploying sandbags and barricades for streets that typically flood, and doing an extra pass across storm drain inlets to try to keep them free of debris," he said Thursday. "We do not anticipate too many issues even if we get the maximum potential rainfall."

He noted that Chambersburg has a separate storm sewer system that can handle a significant amount of rainfall. Even in a downpour, it will clear street flooding quickly, he said.

Waynesboro officials keeping close eye on storm ahead of Market Day

No one in southern Franklin County is keeping a closer eye on the track of Hurricane Ian than Bill Kohler, director of economic development for Mainstreet Waynesboro Inc.

Market Day, Mainstreet’s biggest event of the year, will be held rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.

On Thursday, Kohler was watching three different scenarios.

“What I know is it’s going to be rainy,” he said.

Vendors are being told to bring canopies with sides and weights to hold them in place.

People should wear raincoats and bring umbrellas to enjoy fun fall activities and tons of food, Kohler said. Among the attractions is champion pumpkin carver Danny Kissel, who has appeared on the Food Network.

The Borough of Waynesboro “will monitor the weather and plan accordingly,” said Jason Stains, borough manager.

Greencastle-Antrim standing by: 'If we get 4 inches it could change things'

Heading west on Route 16 to Antrim Township, Rodney Eberly, roadmaster, said the 2 inches of rain in the forecast as of Thursday morning shouldn’t be much of a problem and the area has seen that amount several other times this year.

“Unless the forecast gets worse, we’re not going to be doing a lot. If we get 4 inches it could change things,” Eberly said.

Even with 2 inches, the east branch of the Conococheague Creek might overflow across the dirt road to Martin’s Mill Bridge Park and, if it does, the park could be closed for a couple of days early next week.

The day-to-day routine at the Rescue Hose Co. in Greencastle hasn’t varied much because of Hurricane Ian.

“We’re cognizant of the amount of rainfall and will monitor specific areas,” said EMS Chief Mark Miller, noting South Antrim Way at the railroad underpass is among the low-lying areas prone to flooding.

Personnel will “remain vigilant for normal operations and anything Hurricane Ian may throw our way,” Miller said.

Oct. 2 Jim & Fay Powers Music Series at Pen Mar Park canceled

The Jim and Fay Powers Music Series at Pen Mar Park for Sunday, Oct. 2, has been canceled due to the forecasted inclement weather.

The concert, which was to be the final show of this year's series, will not be rescheduled.

For more information, contact Washington County's Public Relations and Marketing Department at 240-313-2380 or pr@washco-md.net.

Contributing: Mike Lewis, Dave McMillion, Tamela Baker, Amber South, Shawn Hardy, Janis Reeser

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hurricane Ian remnants brings needed rain to Maryland, Pennsylvania