Community Corner

Montgomery County Prepares For Hurricane Irene

The National Weather Service is warning of Tropical Storm conditions.

We could feel tropical storm conditions by Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Tropical storm force winds are expected to start late Saturday night with gusts up to 70 mph, according to The National Weather Service.

Heavy and record-setting rainfall is expected Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening, resulting in flash flooding. A flood watch is in effect for the entire Philadelphia area. Philadelphia and Delaware County are under a hurricane warning and a Tropical Storm warning is in effect for Chester, Montgomery and Bucks counties

Find out what's happening in Ardmore-Merion-Wynnewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The National Weather Service expects Irene to bring minor to moderate damage to mobile homes. Possible siding and roof damage to other homes is also expected. They warn that loose outdoor items may be blown around and create additional damage.

PECO is preparing for downed power lines, but be prepared for outages.

Find out what's happening in Ardmore-Merion-Wynnewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

and .

Lower Merion Prepares

Lower Merion Township on Friday warned residents that they should be prepared for power outages that could last for hours, if not longer.

"Rainfall over the weekend is predicted to exceed 7 inches, and sustained winds of 60 to 70 mph with gusts up to 100 mph are anticipated," the release states.

The release also cautions residents to avoid traveling between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon if possible.

Lower Merion is closing all township pools and the on Sunday, Aug. 28, according to a release sent after the township’s Emergency Management Team convened Thursday afternoon.

The Lower Merion Library System, along with the Montgomery County Library and Information Consortium (MCLINC), are planning to shut down services as early as 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 in order to protect network equipment, according to the release. This includes the shutdown of the online catalog, which will remain unavailable until Monday, Aug. 29. MCLINC may schedule the shutdown earlier depending on weather conditions, and this schedule could also be updated if conditions or forecasts change.

Lower Merion is asking that residents store and outdoor items—including patio furniture, trash cans, recycling bins and hanging potted plants—as a precaution. The release encourages residents to prepare household emergency kits that include a flashlight, battery operated radio, water and any medications you and your family may need for the next few days. The Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania also .

Lower Merion advises residents to check the township website at lowermerion.org for updates throughout the course of the impending storm, and that residents sign up for the township notification system and the Ready Notify PA Alert System if they are not already.

LMTV will begin running emergency information beginning Friday, Aug. 26. This is Channel 7 for Comcast subscribers and Channel 37 for those with Verizon.

If you experience an emergency, call 9-1-1 or 610-642-4200.

Lower Merion announced Friday that all comfort stations at township parks will be closed this weekend, and athletic fields will also be closed to permit holders because fields are already saturated. 

In a separate release, Lower Merion Township announced the docks at  will .

The storm could further swell a river filled with above-average amounts of rain this month. When the storm passes and the river level stabilizes, the docks should be restored, according to the announcement via the township website.


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