KYW Newsradio Team Coverage

KYW’s Michelle Durham reports as the Delaware Valley waits to greet their uninvited weekend guest, tropical storm Hanna, area officials aren't taking any chances.

PECO Spokesperson Mike Wood explains what steps they are taking:

"We are having additional dispatchers and support personnel for our distribution center come in at mid-day on Saturday and then at different intervals. In the afternoon some of the craft personnel for the field are reporting to duty. So we're scheduling our field staff at various points in the day in advance of the storm."

Atlantic Electric and PSE&G are taking the same steps; the city of Philadelphia's Emergency Operations Center was activated at 10am on Saturday so city officials can coordinate help as soon as it's needed.

In the meantime, officials are advising you to report power outages as soon as they happen and be prepared for the storm.

KYW's David Madden reports as skies turned grey and the wind and rain arrived those bent on making the best of a bad situation sought shelter. A few determined surfers were hanging ten with Cape May lifeguard Jeremy Frigo keeping a watchful eye on them:

“Most surfers have been here for years. If they have the courage to actually go out there, we tend to find that they are capable of handling rough conditions such as these.”

This area is the exception with life guards on duty after Labor Day. Most shore communities rely on a visitor’s common sense and police when that doesn’t work.

There’s no sense of panic stores are well stocked with the basics. What has officials here worried is the battering the beaches will take through the afternoon and evening.

KYW’s Tony Hanson reports with Hanna bearing down on the shore, Saturday morning dawned hot, humid and sunny.

Ron Gold, down the shore for a late day family wedding, owns property here and he figures he’ll be okay:

“We’re on stilts and we are about four or five feet off the ground.  And there has never been any flooding in the place. So we are hoping it is going to be fine.”

KYW's Pat Loeb reports emergency management officials in the tri-state area were ready for tropical storm Hanna, and they're urging you to do the same.

Officials in Wildwood, NJ have issued an emergency declaration. Bill Davenport is the emergency management coordinator there:

"We have a lot of tourists in town.  It's not like a hometown where everybody's in place. A lot of tourists, they don't typically understand what may be going on. Some of them may have been here several days and not be aware that there's a tropical or gale force storm coming."
 
Davenport says the most important thing is to stay informed of the storm's progress. He also has this advice:

"If you're in a low-lying area in town, to move your cars to higher grounds, not to drive through water, to secure anything around your property if you're a homeowner or a condo or whatever -- any loose items, chairs, umbrellas, backyard items."

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In Avalon, NJ, mayor Martin Pagliughi says his town is bracing for the storm as well:
 
"We've got the beach patrol pulling back most of their equipment. (The department of) Public Works is ready for the areas that usually flood under normal high tide conditions. And then we're going to just have to wait and see how bad it is."
    
The US Coast Guard was gearing up for flooding along the coast. USCG public affairs officer Christopher McLaughlin says boaters must secure their boats and any loose items on board:
 
"Especially be cautious of any kind of hazardous materials on or near the water.  People should know that they're responsible for any spills that may occur near their property and that they need to take the necessary precautions to secure them during any kind of foul weather."

Officer McLaughlin says the Coast Guard is on 24-hour standby along the Delaware and New Jersey shores, and in Philadelphia:

"We're all basically on standby, and we have crews that are going to be standing duty 24 hours and they're ready to respond at a moment's notice whenever they get a call that someone's in danger."

McLaughlin says you can do your part by staying safe:

"Stay clear of any kind of beaches, even if you're confident in your swimming ability.  Even the strongest swimmer can fall victim to strong waves and rip currents that are being caused by the tropical storm, Hanna, that's on its way."

McLaughlin says that if you have to be on a boat, be prepared for the bad weather:

"We tell everyone to wear a life jacket and be prepared as far as having proper safety equipment on board -- a marine radio, a cell phone -- and let people know where you're going if you're going to be out on the water. Rescuers have to get through the bad weather too, to rescue you, so just make sure (you're) prepared."

There's also the possibility of flooding along rivers and creeks. Bucks County, Pa. emergency management coordinator John Dougherty says officials are keeping an eye on the Neshaminy and Martins Creeks:

"We've gone ahead and notified municipalities in those areas of the potential, and they should be on the lookout for this. And we also have sent 'reverse 911' calls to residents in those areas, alerting them to be prepared."

Dougherty has this advice for residents living near the creeks:

"They should, if they have anything of value, put it up high so that it's not damaged. They should be watching as the creek is approaching, and they should be prepared to evacuate."

Dougherty also has this advice for motorists:

"If they see standing water in the roads, please do not drive into it.  Turn around.  Many lives are lost by people driving into this water and their cars being floated away and they become trapped in their vehicle. So please, take that warning. And if you see a flooded street, don't drive into it. Turn around and go another direction."

Dougherty says, though, that Bucks County is hoping to keep streets open:

"We notified the local municipalities that they may want to check their storm drains, and make sure they're cleared of debris and stuff so water can run off, to prevent street flooding."

Dougherty says the county also has asked Peco Electric to put representatives at its 911 dispatch center:

"They're projecting tropical storm winds approximately 45 miles an hour in this area, so we may have tree limbs go down which would take wires out and stuff like that.  So the faster we can get the info to Peco, the faster they can get crews out to make the repairs."

And Dougherty reminds you to stay informed:

"Definitely, they should be listening to the radio and local news so they know the weather forecast.  And if we have to put out any messages over the media, they'll hear them and know when we advise them to evacuate."

You can do that by keeping your radio tuned to KYW Newsradio 1060.