Virginia and Maryland governors declare state of emergency ahead of Hermine
WASHINGTON - Hermine, which hit Florida Thursday night as a hurricane, should not be much of a threat to the Washington D.C. metro area this Labor Day holiday weekend.
Local beaches, however, can expect to see rough surf, rain and high wind as the remnants of the storm pass by offshore.
As of Friday morning, forecast tracks placed Hermine further south and east than expected. Beaches in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey are currently under a Tropical Storm Watch.
Saturday and Sunday in the D.C. metro area should be dry with partly cloudy conditions and temperatures in the upper 70s. Some stray showers are possible. Heavier rain will stay to the south and east - closer to the shore. A beautiful day is in store for on Labor Day with temperatures in the mid-80s and sunny skies.
While the D.C. area is likely to miss most of the tropical weather, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has issued a state of emergency as the storm continues to move up the East Coast.
At news conference Friday afternoon, McAuliffe warned that Hermine could bring "life-threatening" storm surges to the eastern part of the state, including heavily populated areas such as Virginia Beach.
McAuliffe said forecasters predict waves as high as 8 feet and storm surges up to 4 feet this weekend. McAuliffe added that 10 inches of rain could also pour down over the course of two days.
Virginia is deploying 270 members of the National Guard to prepare for flooding and power outages. Cities such as Norfolk and Virginia Beach are often plagued with flooding in low-lying areas and are increasingly vulnerable to sea-level rise.
Gov. Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency for the Eastern Shore and southern Maryland as tropical storm Hermine continues its way north.
Hogan signed the executive order Friday afternoon. It affects Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, Worcester, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties.
The governor said in a statement that he signed the order in anticipation of heavy rains, strong winds and flooding.
The National Weather Service has issued tropical storm warnings for St. Mary's, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties.
Maryland Emergency Management Agency Director Russ Strickland says residents should monitor trusted weather sources to stay updated. He says residents and visitors to the Eastern Shore should pay extra attention, because tropical storm tracks can change quickly and unexpectedly.
Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain, high winds and thousands of power outages. Injuries were reported in Tallahassee as trees fell onto homes.
The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Hermine later weakened to a tropical storm as it moved farther inland.
Information from the Associated Press used in this report.
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