Tropical Storm Ophelia made its way through Maryland over the weekend, dropping plenty of rain, downing trees, and flooding coastal areas. Governor Wes Moore declared a State of Emergency before the storm and the state of Maryland advised motorists to avoid driving/being out during the storm, but not everyone was satisfied with the decision to make the declaration as a few criticized the Governor’s decision.
One tweet stated, “That storm was nothing more than a little wind and rain around here with some minor coastal flooding. There was 0 need to declare a state of emergency.”, which prompted to Maryland Department of Emergency Management to reply with the following:
“Incorrect. Ophelia had the capacity and ability to destroy life and property. The SoE declaration allowed the Governor to activate the MD National Guard, preposition assets, access other resources, & allows MD to request assistance & resources from other states if we needed them.” The interaction can be seen below:
Incorrect. Ophelia had the capacity and ability to destroy life and property. The SoE declaration allowed the Governor to activate the MD National Guard, preposition assets, access other resources, & allows MD to request assistance & resources from other states if we needed them. https://t.co/BeIqfuu57e
— Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) (@MDMEMA) September 25, 2023
Featured photo courtesy of the National Weather Service