By Andrea F. Siegel , Sun reporter|July 27, 2008
After tropical storm Arthur fizzled, Bertha revved up the Atlantic hurricane season, then came Cristobal, with Dolly not far behind. None of the storms threatened Maryland, but that doesn't mean area homeowners shouldn't be alert and prepared.
"We can get pretty much anything here in the Baltimore area," says National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Strong, who forecasts for the Mid-Atlantic region, noting that summer and early fall storms may cause no damage - or wreak havoc.
Weather gurus have an idea of what's headed this way, but there's little lead time for predicting thunderstorms and specifics of hurricanes and their ilk.
For hurricane activity in the Atlantic, the outlook, issued in May, points to a nearly average to above-normal season - that means a possibility of 12 to 16 named storms, including between six and nine hurricanes, and between two and five major hurricanes. The outlook will be updated early next month.
If your home isn't ready for water and wind, get it in order now, experts say. That can be a tall order for some homeowners.
A generation ago, when Charlene and Bud Kotrla's house was built at the water's edge on Millers Island, the ranch-style home sat a few steps off the ground.
But tropical storm Isabel put it under water in 2003 - as it did many other homes on the tip of the eastern Baltimore County peninsula - and turned the couple's life near the Chesapeake Bay into a nightmarish odyssey that included a harrowing rescue from chin-deep water, life in a freezing federal emergency trailer and multiple insurance battles. The couple eventually ended up recasting their lives to deal with having emptied retirement accounts and doing much of the remodeling work themselves and with friends when the money ran short.
Now, in their rebuilt home, it also means living in the equivalent of a one-story walk-up.
"It's 16 steps, I can tell you. I had groceries today," Charlene Kotrla said recently.
Their house was elevated 14 feet above where it sat before the devastating storm; many neighbors' homes were raised when rebuilt.
The ground floor's concrete block walls have flood vents. They allow floodwater to slosh in and out beneath the living space, rather than put pressure on the building.
Inside, wall outlets and a switch for an outside light are near ceiling height, so Charlene Kotrla has to stretch to reach them. By law, they have to be 2 feet above the 100-year flood level, said John Altmeyer, Baltimore County's chief building inspector.
