Community Weathers Aftermath Of Hurricane Irene

By Hayley Gable

The chaos began on Friday, August 26, when the grocery store aisles at Giant and Safeway in Lake Shore began to resemble a scene of havoc. Shelves once fully stocked with bottled water and bread were quickly cleared, and check-out lines were each backed up with multiple filled-to-the-brim shopping carts. Hurricane Irene, the ninth named storm and the first major hurricane of the 2011 season, inflicted extensive damage in the Caribbean before making landfall here in Anne Arundel County during the last weekend of August.

While Irene proved not to be as catastrophic as past storms, such as Isabelle in 2003, the storm certainly left its mark in and around the local community.

On the Saturday afternoon of August 27, Hurricane Irene hit Pasadena head-on, causing fallen trees, downed wires, and of course, power outages in neighborhoods everywhere.

Just mere hours into the storm’s landing in the area, dozens of local neighborhoods reported power outages and downed trees due to the powerful winds and heavy rains. In Anne Arundel County, over 50 fallen trees blocked roadways, and over 200 roads were closed due to high water or debris. Traffic lights also proved to be a problem up and down Ritchie Highway, causing backups and delays well into Monday afternoon.

Anne Arundel Community College, County Public Schools and many private schools were closed both Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, August 31, the community college and all county schools, with the exception of 7 that remained without power, returned to operating on a normal schedule.

While many local students used their free time to assist in clearing up branches and debris left scattered throughout neighborhoods and yards, one local boy, Mark Muckelbauer Jr., used his time to volunteer at the Emergency Operation Center in Glen Burnie. Muckelbauer, a sophomore at Archbishop Spalding, received an Executive Citation for his community spirit and special care he showed fellow neighbors during Hurricane Irene. Mark remained at the EOC from 7:00pm on August 27 to 10:00am on August 28, fielding phone calls and performing other important duties.

While Irene created many troubles and setbacks for those in Anne Arundel County, many agreed that prolonged power outages were the biggest frustration. As of Thursday, September 1, more than 18,000 county residents were still without power.

The storm caused nearly all weekend activities to be canceled or postponed, including a high school car wash fundraiser, stargazing night at Anne Arundel Community College, and the Homestead Gardens Tomato Festival.