Flooding

A tornado watch and flash flood warning are in effect for the Baltimore region, with heavy rain and gusty winds expected through the night. The tornado watch area includes all of central and southern Maryland and is effective through 2 a.m. Thursday. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornado development but does not mean any have or will occur. The Baltimore area is also under a flash-flood warning, coastal flood advisory and a wind advisory through early Thursday.

A recent headline stated that "Congress approves more aid for Sandy's victims" (Jan 5). Really? My take is that what Congress did was require our children to borrow another $10 billion to pay contractual obligations of government insurance claims. Insurance premiums are only covering about 1 percent of previous claims, and our children will pay the other 99 percent. Soon another $50 billion will be added to the tab, and Sandy will not be the last disaster. The government needs to either get out of the flood-insurance business or make premiums cover outlays.

Declaring that Maryland's coastal areas are increasingly at risk from a rising sea level, Gov. Martin O'Malley has ordered state agencies to weigh the growing risks of flooding in deciding where and how to construct state buildings. "Billions of dollars of investments in public infrastructure will be threatened if the state of Maryland fails to prepare adequately for climate change," he said in Friday's executive order, which calls for avoiding low-lying sites and elevating new or reconstructed state buildings to avert flooding.

When I went to see "Pullman Porter Blues" at Arena Stage this month, not only was it an opportunity to see an excellent play, but it was also a chance to delve into my own heritage. Set in 1937, "Pullman Porter Blues" is the story of three generations of black pullman car porters, the highly trained, uniformed men who took care of every need, around the clock, of first-class, sleeping-car passengers. In the play, the grandfather, Monroe, appears happy to do the bidding of his white supervisor, but he has some tricks up his sleeve.

Two Annapolis streets closed Friday morning due to flooding: Compromise Street between St. Mary's Street and Memorial Street. Dock Street is also closed, said Annapolis Police Sergeant Eric Crane. As of 8:45 a.m. Friday, Philadelphia Road near Maryland Route 136 in Harford County, remained closed in both directions for debris in the road, according to state highway officials. Also in Harford County, Maryland Route 165, north of Dooley Road, was closed in both directions for debris blocking the road.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University slogged through thigh-deep water to rescue tissue samples and evacuate lab animals when a flood crippled a cancer research building after Hurricane Sandy last month. "It was really an extraordinary community effort," said Landon King, vice dean for research at the university's medical school, who worked to save precious samples stored in large freezers after the power went out. "It could have been an absolute disaster. " In the darkened basement of the Koch Cancer Research Building, water rose until it stood more than three feet in places.

The Consumer Federation of America says yes. The nonprofit estimates Sandy will lead to 200,000 flood insurance claims, exhausting the National Flood Insurance Program. The CFA says Congress will have to swiftly authorize additional money to meet those claims. Makes you wonder if a polarized Congress will be able to pass such an authorization, or whether stalling will occur by politicians seeking to score some points.  But I digress.  Anyway, the CFA offers tips on how to get a fair claim payment on homeowner's insurance:  -     Report the claim as quickly as possible, because with insurance companies, it's first come, first served.

In the wake of the NFL fining the Ravens $20,000 for failing to list free safety Ed Reed's torn shoulder labrum on injury reports, the team deluged Wednesday's injury report by placing a season-high 15 players on it. Defensive end Pernell McPhee did not practice because of a thigh injury. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (right shoulder), cornerback Jimmy Smith (groin) and wide receiver Jacoby Jones (foot) participated on a limited basis. Eleven players practiced fully. Eight are starters, and they are safeties Bernard Pollard (chest)

About two inches of rain are expected to fall on the soaked Baltimore region Tuesday morning, and sustained winds could topple more trees as Sandy plods north, forecasters said. Although the brunt of the massive storm pelted the area overnight, the slow-moving system will continue to dump rain throughout the morning, said Kevin Witt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "It's going to stay on the wet and windy side the rest of the day," Witt said. Water levels in eastern Baltimore County are expected to rise four feet above normal levels due to a storm surge, county officials said.

The National Weather Service issued coastal flood warnings for many parts of Maryland until 8 a.m. Wednesday. The affected areas are southern Baltimore County and Harford, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties. Baltimore and Harford Counties should expect high tide levels 2 feet above normal. The other areas are expected to see levels 1 to 2 feet higher than usual. The tides will likely bring inundation of shoreline areas and large waves at high tide could make flooding worse, according to the weather service.