Your Hurricane Irene Dashboard

The rain we're experiencing today has nothing to do with Hurricane Irene, a category three hurricane, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Ocean City, MD, officials have ordered an emergency evacuation by midnight of the resort town. Gov. Martin O'Malley declared a state of emergency. Irene could hit the Baltimore area as a tropical storm on Sunday. 

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

As of 8 a.m. today, Irene's probable path could touch the southern tip of the Virginia coast, as well as Maryland's Eastern Shore, on Sunday as a hurricane, according to the website. At 2 p.m., that storm is expected to hit in and near Maryland at about 8 a.m. Sunday.

Here's what FEMA says we need to prepare, in case Irene does affect our area:

Stay informed of the latest forecast. The National Hurricane Center, hurricanes.gov, continues to be the official source for Hurricane Irene forecasts and updates. On your phone, visit http://hurricanes.gov/mobile. If the storm approaches your community, visit the National Weather Service online at weather.gov, or on your phone at http://mobile.weather.gov.

Know your evacuation plan. Contact your local emergency management office (Baltimore County Office of Emergency Management, see below) to find out if you live in an evacuation zone, and what the proper route would be if evacuation orders are given by local officials.

In our county, according to the Baltimore County Office of Emergency Management website, "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." Visit the county website for updates, or follow them on Twitter.

Have your emergency kit ready. Make sure your emergency kit is capable of sustaining your family members (including pets) for at least 72 hours. Remember to include important documents, prescription medications, and other essentials for children and pets.

Review and practice your family’s emergency plan. Make sure family members know how they will get in touch after a disaster, or where safe meeting locations are both in town and out-of-town. For more tips on making your family’s emergency plan, visit Ready.gov.

FEMA recommends saving these links on your computer and phone, in case you need them later.