LA PLATA, Md. (August 26, 2011)—Commissioner President Candice Quinn Kelly declared a local state of emergency in Charles County at noon today, which will be in effect for up to seven days, until Friday, September 2, due to the forecasted high winds and flooding that may be produced by Hurricane Irene.
A declaration of a local state of emergency authorizes the Charles County Department of Emergency Services to engage, deploy, and coordinate available resources to protect life and property of Charles County residents.
Currently, the National Weather Service has placed the entire Southern Maryland region under a Tropical Storm Warning. This warning means that tropical storm conditions could begin affecting the region within the next 24 hours.
A non-emergency telephone number, 301-609-3435, has been established for citizens to call who have questions during this weather event. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.
Residents are advised to tune in to local radio and television news stations for emergency alerts and actions. Updated information is also available online at www.CharlesCounty.org and on Charles County Government cable television stations (Comcast channel 95 and Verizon channel 10).
Note: somd.com continues to post all official bulletins received from local governments and utilities here: http://somd.me/irenesomd2 . We will post all public closings, cancellations, and postponements related to Hurricane Irene here: http://somd.me/irenesomd .