The first rainfall from Hurricane Sandy began reaching DC late Sunday evening. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Hurricane Sandy is closing in on DC, and the city is preparing itself for the worst. As of this evening, the Federal Government, the DC Government and all Metro service has been suspended for Monday, October 29, in anticipation of the storm. According to a statement from Mayor Gray’s office, Metro service will only be restored when it is safe to do so. Following the storm, Metro personnel will need to perform a comprehensive damage assessment, including inspections of track, bridges, aerial structures, stations and facilities.
DC Public Schools are also closed on Monday, and President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency for DC as Hurricane Sandy approaches.
The weather and transportation closures will make it especially hard for commuters to get to work Monday morning, with bad road conditions expected. Additionally, Capital Bikeshare announced that it will be closing temporarily starting at 1 am Monday morning. According to an email alert, the system will reopen when weather conditions allow.
Streetsweeping has been suspended through Wednesday. There is no parking enforcement tomorrow. In addition, the DC Department of Transportation has generators in place at major intersections. If power is disrupted, traffic signals will continue to work, and DDOT traffic control officers will be deployed to direct traffic where necessary.
All throughout the weekend, DC residents and employees were busy preparing for Hurricane Sandy. The city’s grocery stores were wiped clear of bottled water and other essentials, and the city placed sandbags in areas where flooding could be problematic. In this year’s past storms, flooding has been a problem in the Borderstan area.
According to The Washington Post, DC is expected to experience 4-7″ of rain and a long period of sustained winds above 35 mph, with peak gusts of more than 60 mph from Hurricane Sandy.
According to WTOP, several locations in DC have opened as shelters ahead of Hurricane Sandy, including:
- Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Avenue NE
- Bald Eagle Recreation Center, 100 Joliet Street SW
- Emery Recreation Center, 5701 Georgia Avenue NW
- Guy Mason Recreation Center, 3600 Calvert Street NW
- Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Deenwood Community Center, 1350 49th Street NE
For information on closings, delays and weather, check WTOP’s website for the latest listings.
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