The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel connecting the southern tip of the Delmarva to mainland Virginia has been closed to all traffic until further notice as Hurricane Irene moved toward the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay late Saturday afternoon.
President Obama has signed and Emergency Declaration for Maryland that allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief with state and local officials.
According to a release from the state Emergency Management Agency, the declaration allows FEMA to “save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Baltimore, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, Worcester, and Baltimore City.”
“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.”
The Talbot County Department of Emergency Services has asked all residents not in shelters to be prepared to weather the storm in their homes and not to travel during the storm as it passes through late Saturday and early Sunday.
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