Mayor Says Baltimore Ready to Handle Irene

During an address Saturday evening, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake urged residents to use caution and prepare to be without power for an extended period of time as Hurricane Irene approaches.

Rawlings-Blake said that if power lines are down, BGE will be able to remove active lines. But because of the wind, the utility company will not be able to restore above-ground power lines.

“If power goes out, it will be hours before it's restored,” Rawlings-Blake said.

Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Jim Clack said most of the city’s power lines are above ground. The National Weather Service is predicting the hurricane could bring wind gusts of up to 65 mph.

Ian Brennan, a spokesman for the mayor, said the city hasn’t started to calculate the possible cost of the storm to Baltimore because there are too many variables.

“It’s too early to say,” Brennan said.

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