Maryland braces for wet weather from remnants of Hurricane Ian
BALTIMORE -- Hurricane Ian made another landfall Friday and worked its way into the southern states, making its way toward Maryland.
The hurricane downgraded to a tropical storm Friday, but its remnants are starting to be felt in the Northeast region with powerful wind and rain.
Central Maryland could see between 2-4 inches of rain through the weekend, and the southern part of the state may get more.
"I'm worried about the roads, how the slickness on the actual pavements will be," said Carlton, who worries about the city's potholes that might be hard to navigate around with water covering them.
AAA warned drivers of the threat of flooding.
"Tropical systems like Ian, they're loaded with moisture. They can create dangerous conditions on the roadways," said Ragina Ali, from AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Ali said as little as six inches of water can cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle and potentially stall an engine.
Earlier this week, Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc along the Gulf and East coasts, hitting Florida the hardest.
"The damage is really catastrophic," said Dale Kunce, Regional CEO of the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Red Cross.
Kunce is among about 20 Red Cross workers from the Maryland and Capital region helping in Florida.
In an interview Friday near Punta Gorda, Kunce said they've been doing home checks and handing out water while also listening to some of the harrowing stories from the storm.
"Folks who were trapped in their homes had to swim out during the hurricane. There was one couple who told me they tied their belts together to stay together during the storm," he said.
Gov. Larry Hogan said via Twitter the state is sending personnel from to Florida while preparing for what could hit at home.
Multiple events have been cancelled or postponed in Maryland, including the Baltimore by Baltimore Festival, Fell's Point Fun Festival and Oceans Calling Festival.
Video from the Ocean City webcams showed parts of the stage for the music festival getting whipped around by the wind.
But Kunce said while Mother Nature is showing her might, many are showing their humanity.
"She just said, 'Thank you so much for being here,' and I said, 'I haven't done anything yet,' and she said, 'You're here and that helps,'" said Kunce.
For free text alerts about this storm from the state, text 'MDReady' to 211MD1 and visit md511.org for travel updates.
