Anne Arundel prepares for Hanna

Preparations are being made for the impact of Tropical Storm Hanna tonight and tomorrow as officials keep a wary eye on two other storms in the Atlantic Ocean.

Sandbags were placed around downtown Annapolis yesterday and today and the Bay Bridge could close to traffic because of the expected rain and gusts of wind.

The National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm warning and a flash flood watch for Anne Arundel County. Between a quarter and a half-inch of rain could fall tonight in the Annapolis area with winds from 10 to 16 mph. Rainfall between 3 inches and 4 inches is possible tomorrow, with winds of 25 to 28 mph and gusts up to 40 mph.

A coastal storm surge is expected to reach 1- to 3 feet above normal tide levels along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Martin O'Malley issued a limited declaration of emergency following an executive-level hurricane briefing at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency in Reisterstown yesterday.

The declaration is for the nine counties on the Eastern Shore, including Queen Anne's. Some effects of the declaration include the pre-deployment of National Guard troops and federal aid and reimbursement.

"While this declaration was made in an abundance of caution, it is nonetheless important for all Maryland citizens to prepare themselves and their families for the expected weather resulting from Hanna," Mr. O'Malley said in a statement.

MEMA has been working around the clock with local, state and federal officials to prepare for the impact of Hanna. They will bring extra staff into the State Emergency Operations Center today.

MEMA also is monitoring the progress of Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm Josephine. The National Hurricane Center projects that Ike will stay near the Caribbean and make landfall in Florida by Wednesday. Josephine is much farther out, but still making progress toward the eastern United States.

"We can't let our guard down," said Richard Muth, the director of MEMA.

Although the central path of Hanna is forecast to go over the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and stay southeast of the Annapolis area, Mr. O'Malley said all residents should prepare themselves. The high winds probably will force closure of the Bay Bridge sometime tomorrow and removing the materials and work crews doing repair work, he said.

The governor recalled at the briefing yesterday when he was told in 2003 during Tropical Storm Isabel that no problems would happen after high tide, but conditions actually worsened.

"The anxiety is that you never really know exactly where these hurricanes are going," Mr. O'Malley said. "Mother Nature can be unpredictable … so we have to keep an eye on it."

MEMA is asking residents to monitor the weather and prepare supplies, such as a 48-hour to 72-hour stockpile of food and water, a first aid kit, and protective clothing. Possible evacuation points should be identified ahead of when the storm hits.

City agencies were coordinating yesterday to make sure they are ready, said Edward Sherlock, the director of the Office of Emergency Management.

The predicted tidal surge would probably leave some water in parking lots and streets downtown, but it pales compared to the 8-foot surge during Isabel, he said.

Public works employees are placing approximately 200 sandbags at the Second Street pumping station in Eastport and about 500 sandbags will be located on pallets in downtown near the Annapolis Harbormaster's office. Crews from Public Works will be on standby for emergencies.

"The path of the storm could change," Mr. Sherlock said. "I would rather have it the way it is now than swing west."

The city also announced the availability of a new online alert system through FLASHbrief, LLC, an Orlando company. Anyone with a broadband internet connection can download a free program at www.FLASHbrief.com and get emergency alerts for Annapolis such as tornadoes and advisory alerts such as street closures.

Other preparations include:

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. has more than 1,500 employees and contractors prepared to work around the clock to keep the lights on. The company urged its customers to prepare by collecting items such as flashlights and batteries to weather any power outages.

"Depending on the path this storm takes through the mid-Atlantic states, we have reason to believe that there will be a significant number of power outages beginning as early as Saturday afternoon and possibly extending early next week," said Stephen J. Woerner, senior vice president of gas and electric operations and planning, in a statement.

County fire officials are urging people to be cautious using candles after unattended candles sparked a house fire in Pasadena during a power outage yesterday.

"This incident demonstrates the very real danger that candles can pose when used for lighting," Fire Chief David L. Stokes said in a statement. "As we prepare for sever weather in our area, the possibility of power outages is high and the need to be prepared in paramount."

BoatU.S. released tips for people who own boats in the path of the storm, such as using extra lines to secure vessels in slips and removing any bimini tops, sails and dodgers. The safest place to store a boat is on a trailer.

The Chesapeake Ecology Center located at 245 Clay St. has postponed its annual Garden Open House and Native Plant Sale until Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.