[SMCARA] Hurricane damage information_Sunday morning

[petebutt at comfac.com]

Folks,

  Status as of 0730 AM local time, Sunday, 28 August:

  We have been operating all night with both EOC facilities staffed and
ham stations in operation at the Ridge and Valley Lee fire stations. 
Primary operations have been, and remain on 146.490 simplex.  The 146.64
repeater went off the air yesterday afternoon due to a power failure and
the 146.195 repeater went off the air yesterday evening for the same
reason.

  At 5 AM this morning, WA3UMY departed the Calloway area for Lexington
Park.  It took about an hour to make the trip up Rt. 5 to Leonardtown,
across Rt. 245 to Hollywood, and then back down Route 235.  The
following conditions were noted:

  - The Great Mills area is completely flooded and impassable at this
time.  Route 5 is totally blocked by fallen trees in the Park Hall area.
 Hermanville Road is completely blocked.

  - Route 249 (from Callaway to Piney Point) is almost impassable with
numberous trees going across the roadway.  I was able to just fit my SUV
under a huge tree that spans across the entire road and is up about 7
feet from the road surface.

  - Route 5 north of Callaway is also almost impassable, especially in the
Redgate area south of Leonardtown High School, for about a 5 mile
stretch due to about 50 trees laying in the roadway and high tension
wires and poles down for thousands of feet.  I followed a State Police
cruiser and for over two miles we were on the far left shoulder going
northbound due to all the trees on the northbound side laying across the
roadway.  Chingville Road, St. George's Church Road, and Rt. 244 are all
impassable at this time due to dozens of fallen trees and downed power
lines.  Travel in this area is extemely dangerous and should be avoided
at all costs.

  - Fairgrounds Road and St. Andrews Road are impassable due to fallen
trees and power lines.

  - Route 245 (Hollywood-Leonardtown Road) is passable but barely due to
multiple trees in the roadway and thousands of feet of power lines and
poles down.  There are numerous areas where you have to drive over
and/or under low hanging wires.  Police are located in many places
putting out flares, etc. to warn drivers of the danger.

  - Route 235 is generally clear but there are several locations where
parts of the northbound travel lanes are blocked by fallen trees and/or
power lines and poles.  Use extreme caution.

  - Most neighborhoods are blocked due to thousands of fallen trees.

  - At 6 AM, I observed multiple Pike, SMECO and other emergency crews
just beginning to roll to affected areas to begin work on fixing the
damage.

  - Power is out generally pretty much throughout the county but I noted
some areas of Leonardtown, California and Lexington Park that have
power.  Most traffic lights in the county are out of service (due to the
electrical problems).

  - Recommendations:  Do not drive if at all possible.  The National Guard
has been deployed and may block roads as needed to make it safe for the
workers to fix down power lines and cut trees laying across and on the
roadways.  Most everything is closed anyway... stay home.

  - My initial assessment is that the effects of this storm will remain
for days to come... There has been massive damage to the electrical grid
with hundreds of high tension power poles and transmission line snapped,
broken and laying on the ground.  I cannot see schools reopening for
several days at the earliest.

  - For additional details, feel free to monitor 146.49 MHz simplex and
feel free to volunteer if asked.  Overall coordinator is Ray, KB3FWW at
the EOC in Leonardtown or you can call Ed Pratt who is manning K3HKI at
the backup EOC (he has the best antenna).

  Be safe!

  Pete (WA3UMY)