Stay safe. Stay inside. Stay informed.
The first two are on you. The last one is up to us reporters and scores of county and state employees working overtime. Come Sunday evening—when Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall in Maryland—the question on everybody's mind will be "how is this storm affecting my neighborhood, my friends and my family?"
That's where Twitter and a few other helpful online resources will come into play. Twitter is the fastest tool for getting information as it happens.
In Baltimore County, police and emergency response personnel are urging residents to follow:
Both accounts will be updating throughout the storm, which is expected to cause widespread power outages. The county has been urging preparation ahead of "Frankenstorm." Check out these tips provided by Baltimore County police spokeswoman Elise Armacost. Following County Executive @KevinKamenetz wouldn't hurt either.
For breaking news that hits close to your home in Parkville, Carney, Overlea, Fullerton, or Loch Raven follow:
Patch reporters across the state are gearing up with the storm as we speak. Look for a storm chat, live blogging to be posted later this weekend. We're opening the communication flood gates (poor choice of words?).
Be sure to report tips and what you're seeing as the storm hits.
Independent breaking news service @BCObreakingnews is also a worthwhile follow when it comes to road conditions, swift water rescues, flooding—you name it.
And then of course there are the tried and true standbys:
Don't forget to sign up for breaking news alerts from your local Patch site to receive instant updates sent directly to your inbox.
