MEMA TO MOVE TO LEVEL 2 STAFFING AT 7 A.M. WEDNESDAY

AS LATE SEASON SNOWSTORM HEADS TO MARYLAND

REISTERSTOWN, MD (March 5, 2013) – The Maryland Emergency Management Agency will move to Level 2 staffing at 7 a.m. Wednesday as a late –season winter storms arrives in Maryland. Level 2 means key MEMA staff and certain agency representatives will staff the state Emergency Operations Center.

Ed McDonough, MEMA Public Information Officer, will be available at the EOC starting at about 4 a.m. Wednesday for phone interviews. While he will be available for in-person interviews, the EOC will not be active until 7 a.m.

This storm will primarily be a transportation event handled by the State Highway Administration and local highway/public works departments. Because wet, heavy snow is predicted, a major concern is possible power outages. Also, winds associated with this storm could create minor flooding along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and minor to moderate flooding along the Atlantic coast.

MEMA has been operating at a Level 3 staffing (additional MEMA employees) since 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Media members should follow MEMA updates on Twitter (@MDMEMA) or friend MEMA on Facebook, and may encourage the public to monitor those sites. Media members also may visit winter preparedness pages at several websites for preparedness information for the general public, including www.mema.maryland.gov, www.ready.gov/winter-weather,www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm, www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/index.shtml, and www.emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter. The media also may encourage the public to visit those sites.

Please also encourage the public to be prepared for possible power outages by having a battery operated radio and charging cell phones or other devices.