Baltimore County conducted a severe storm preparedness exercise on Wednesday.
The exercise was hosted by the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. It featured a hypothetical scenario involving flooding from a category one or two hurricane impacting the county's coastal east side communities.
Recent history shows that areas like Bowleys Quarters, Turner Station, and Miller's Island are vulnerable to tropical systems affecting the mid-Atlantic.
"Last year it taught us it doesn't take a hurricane to have disasters. Just 10 inches in Catonsville with a slow moving pressure system really transformed and caused unprecedented flooding and ravaged many of our neighborhoods here in Baltimore County," said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski.
Officials say they can't get through serious weather alone and that residents need to think about emergency preparedness on a regular basis and not wait until a storm is on the way to be prepared. They suggest having emergency supplies, flood insurance, a plan for your pets, and extra medicine and food and water on hand.
