Tropical Storm Warning in Effect

As of 6:22 a.m. this morning, the center of Hurricane Irene was 690 miles south of the Baltimore area, and the National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for the D.C.-Baltimore Metropolitan Area, including Pikesville.

Tropical storm conditions could hit Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service's Pikesville forecast. Meanwhile, today should be mostly sunny, but there could be showers this morning, and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. The high will be about 85 degrees today.

"Now is the time to rush to [complete] preparations for the protection of life and property," the warning states. "Evacuate if directed to do so by local officials, or if your home is vulnerable to high winds or flooding."

During a weather emergency, the Baltimore County Office of Emergency Management will broadcast notifications about shelters, safety information and county closings on BCTV Channel 25 on cable, according to the office website.

In our county, "Your natural instinct may be to flee in an emergency. But emergency planners in our region say they are more likely to recommend sheltering in place—staying home—than evacuating, because that is the appropriate response for the kinds of disasters most likely to happen here," according to the emergency management website.

To find out where Irene is now, and get details about the storm's movement and probable path, visit the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center.