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For those of you safely tucked away from the Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Earl is just another storm somewhere else but here in Coltons Point on the waterfront, just a few miles from the point where the Potomac River reaches the Chespeake Bay and about 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, we sit in the area covered by Emergency Hurricane warnings from the National and State of Maryland emergency offices.
Just 7 years ago Hurricane Isabel made a direct hit here with the eye of the hurricane passing right over Coltons Point. If Earl shifts just a few miles it could hit here again. If it takes the current projected path we could have hurricane force or tropical storm force winds as right now hurricane force winds reach out 90 miles from the eye of the storm and tropical force winds reach 200 miles.
That means winds of up to 145 miles per hour are already within reach. We sit just a few feet above sea level leaving us also subject to tidal surges which reached up to 8 feet during Isabel. In fact many old trees were uprooted and the streets along the river were literally ripped out of the ground.
Access to Coltons Point was limited to boats and amphibious vehicles during Isabel and that storm was much less severe than Earl. So we will be reporting live and in person from my front porch as the storm makes it's approach over the next 24-36 hours.
Stay tuned as we find out how accurate the Weather Service projected path might be. We will keep reporting live as long as Internet access allows but if the winds are as severe as projected there is a good chance the lines and electricity will be wiped out.
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