Around Town During Irene

As rain from Hurricane Irene arrived in Maryland, residents were hoping that their preparations were adequate to face the storm.

Among the busier places Saturday afternoon was the  on South Maryln Avenue as customers poured in to make sure they had their prescription medications and first-aid supplies.

Jenora Fuller, pharmacy manager at Walgreen said the store had a noticeable increase in customers after the many calls to brace for the storm.

“There was definitely an uptick in refills,” she said. “We also made calls to customers who had orders already filled and awaiting pick-up.  We strongly suggested they come in to pick up their meds before the storm arrives.  We had extra staff on hand to serve the rush."

To Pull or Not to Pull Your Boat

 A stop at Weaver's Marine on Riverside Drive showed that many boats were still in the water.  Marina employee Bill Tuerke said most owners there felt they could ride out the storm with their boats in the water.

“Storm surge is expected to be only 1 -2 feet,” he said. “We get that in severe thunderstorms. Everyone feels they are ready.”

At , also located on Riverside Drive, it was a totally different story.  There, every boat owner had arranged to have their boats pulled out, marina employee Bob Rehak said.

Rehak added that the marina received about 100 calls from boat owners who wanted their boats pulled and stored.

“Some folks realized we were too far away such as the call we got from Annapolis,” Rehak said. However, we have assisted about 50 boat owners to get their boats out of the water.

“We have also let the owners know that we are willing to store the boats for up to 10 days. We know and they realize that due to storm damage and surges, it may take some time to get boats back into the water."

Boating Troubles at Wilson Point Park

Several boaters at Wilson Point were shocked to find that the boat slip at Wilson Point Park was closed Saturday when the county decided to close local parks.

That left many boaters scrambling for a way to get their boats out of the water prior to the storm reaching the region.

“We just couldn’t believe that they would close the boat slip like that,” said Wilson Point Community Association President Bob Bendler, who took many calls from angry boaters.

However, after calls to the county Department of Parks and Recreation, along with assistance from the Middle River Volunteer Fire Department, the boat slip was reopened by mid-afternoon.

“The slip is now open,” said Capt. Jim Sollenberger of the Middle River Volunteer Fire Department.

Ready to Ride Out the Storm

Many residents in waterfront communities like Bowleys Quarters, Wilson Point and Back River have taken all the steps necessary as they try to stay in their homes.

This is mainly due to tidal surges expected to be only 1 to 3 feet, according to the National Weather Service. This compares to 8 feet during Tropical Storm Isabel.

“We bunkered down and ready to go,” said Dave Williams, who has his in-laws riding out the storm with him and his family in his Wilson Point home.