Storm

A storm that blew through the Tri-State region Friday afternoon knocked down some trees and power lines in Washington County, a 911 dispatcher said. Jefferson County, W.Va., also had scattered trees and wires down, a dispatcher there said. Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer's Web site reported that .15 inches of rain fell and the top wind speed was 53 mph, at 3:55 p.m. The National Weather Service issued a statement Friday night that strong thunderstorms, with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, were on their way to the region.

My students' writing assignment this week so closely paralleled real life that it would be difficult to duplicate the impact in any other way. After viewing a photo of a roaring fire, the students were told to assume they were journalists reporting on a natural disaster that occurred in a nearby town. They were to tell readers why the disaster occurred and what happened as a result. They were told to create a plausible account of the event shown in the photograph. When I planned this lesson, little did I know that what has been called "the storm of the century" would pound the East Coast with rain, snow, high winds, fallen trees and power outages.

Here is a list of tips from a page on the Maryland State Highway Administration's website at http://www.sha.state.md.us/index.aspx?PageId=242 if you need to drive in the snow. Allow extra time to get to where you are going. Keep in mind that four-wheel drive vehicles are just as vulnerable to slipping on ice as regular two-wheel drive vehicles. If your car begins to skid, take your foot off the gas pedal and immediately steer in the direction of the skid. Do not panic or slam on the brakes.

As the young took advantage of snow play during Tuesday's snowfall, drivers were careful not to let Old Man Winter get the best of them.

Following are some tips to help people weather the storm: Safe driving Drive only if necessary. Stay away from flooded roads and washed-out bridges. Avoid areas that are susceptible to localized flooding. Do not drive through standing water. Keep away from downed power lines and report them immediately. Intersections with non-functioning traffic lights should be treated as four-way stops. Make eye contact with other drivers at the intersection before proceeding.

If you're looking for an answer to how only 8 to 10 inches of snow could make conditions so bad on area roadways during Wednesday's storm, attribute it to "bad timing," a weather official said. Or, in the words of state highway officials, it was the "perfect storm. " One of the reasons the storm paralyzed the region was because Wednesday's precipitation switched from sleet and rain to snow at about 5 p.m., just in time for the evening rush hour, said Heather Sheffield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Just when you think the far right has a monopoly on wingnut status, along comes the far left to up the ante. I don’t really have a beef with either side — their antics generally amuse the 80 percent in the middle, and there’s a lot to be said for that in this often humorless world of ours. But when they start bringing the kids into it, well, I don’t know. You can always tell the children of left-wing parents, because they have names like Butterfly and Truth. Kids born to right-wing parents are more apt to me named Ordnance or Ripsaw.

This is what I love about U.S. journalism. We could waste our time getting to the bottom of the Fast and Furious weapons scandal, expose the agro-chemical industry for poisoning our babies or bring shame to Congress for failing to perform even the most routine of duties. But no, we don't have that cuz - there's a storm a comin'. Thanks to advances in meteorological sciences, we now get frantic a full five days earlier than we did a decade ago. What crystallized it for me was a “live report” from one of the Washington television stations 48 hours before “Snowquester” was supposed to cripple the East Coast on Wednesday.

There were several calls to Washington County emergency communications of possible funnel-cloud sightings when a line of fast-moving storms moved through the county Saturday, but none were confirmed as tornadoes as of Saturday night by the National Weather Service. The center received about five calls about funnel-cloud sightings Saturday afternoon, a 911 dispatcher said Saturday night. Howard Silverman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va., said none were confirmed within its region, which includes much of Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.

BUXTON, N.C. (AP) -- Hurricane Earl churned past the North Carolina Outer Banks and its powerful gusts and driving rains were starting to be felt in southeastern Virginia early Friday, the beginning of at least 24 hours of stormy, windy weather along the East Coast. Residents and officials of North Carolina's barrier islands were waiting for daybreak to see how much damage the storm's winds and waves had left behind. But National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Collins said Earl had produced little storm surge and only minor flooding in some coastal counties.

Sunday, May 12, 2013 PREP BASEBALL Mercersburg 12, Lawrenceville 2 LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - Collin Gibbons-Fly's three-run homer highlighted a seven-run fourth inning as Mercersburg Academy clinched the Mid-Atlantic Prep League regular-season title by beating Lawrenceville. Tiger Smith pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-hit ball, striking out 14 to improve his record to 6-1. Mike Collins came on in relief and allowed just one hit over the final 1 2/3 innings, striking out four.

The Smithsburg softball team won twice on Friday. The Leopards beat the rain and Oakdale. The Leopards struggled through the early innings, but scored when it counted to pull out a 6-1 victory over Oakdale in a game that was halted by rain midway through the fifth inning. “We started slow today and I don't like to do that, but we made some adjustments and were able to break it open,” Smithsburg coach Katy Barnhart said. Smithsburg (5-5) was sluggish offensively until the third and fourth innings, when the Leopards scored all their runs.

Throwing only two strikes to the first three batters in the opposing lineup is not a good indication of how things might fare. Saint James starter Ben Holland walked the first three batters in the Mercersburg Academy lineup and each scored in a three-run first inning. Four innings later, players shook hands after Mercersburg had recorded a 16-0 victory over the Saints, who return to action Wednesday at home against Flint Hill. “You can't start a game the way we did and make it competitive,” Saint James coach Mick Kerns said.

The Top Five 'Done to Death' The story alternates between imagination and reality as five mystery writers wrestle with the problem of writing a television mystery/murder series. Then real murders occur. Presented by Boonsboro High School Drama. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21, and Friday, March 22. Boonsboro High School, 10 Campus Ave., Boonsboro. Call 301-766-8022 and ask for Michael J. Bair. Storms on the sun HMTV6 meteorologist Brittany Beggs will speak about the anticipated maximum in the 11-year sunspot cycle and how it affects weather on Earth.

This is what I love about U.S. journalism. We could waste our time getting to the bottom of the Fast and Furious weapons scandal, expose the agro-chemical industry for poisoning our babies or bring shame to Congress for failing to perform even the most routine of duties. But no, we don't have that cuz - there's a storm a comin'. Thanks to advances in meteorological sciences, we now get frantic a full five days earlier than we did a decade ago. What crystallized it for me was a “live report” from one of the Washington television stations 48 hours before “Snowquester” was supposed to cripple the East Coast on Wednesday.

A late-winter storm caused a lot of cancellations but few problems Wednesday, and in some areas, accumulations were a lot lower than predicted. Weather forecasters said Tuesday that eight to 12 inches of snow could fall in the area but Hagerstown only received 2.7 inches, Hagerstown weather observer Greg Keefer said at his website www.i4weather.net . The storm also moved through the area faster than expected, said Kevin Witt, a meteorologist with...

Here is a list of tips from offered by FirstEnergy in a press release and Potomac Edison spokesman Todd Meyers to prepare for the winter storm and deal with potential power outages: Keep a flashlight and extra batteries on hand before the storm arrives so you do not have to go out into the storm and get them after the power goes out. Have extra blankets or sleeping bags to stay warm. Do not use gas stoves, kerosene heaters, or other heat sources that could cause carbon monoxide gas to build up. Be careful when using candles.

Here is a list of tips from a page on the Maryland State Highway Administration's website at http://www.sha.state.md.us/index.aspx?PageId=242 if you need to drive in the snow. Allow extra time to get to where you are going. Keep in mind that four-wheel drive vehicles are just as vulnerable to slipping on ice as regular two-wheel drive vehicles. If your car begins to skid, take your foot off the gas pedal and immediately steer in the direction of the skid. Do not panic or slam on the brakes.

The Washington County Northstars played Noah's Ark hockey on Thursday. They unleashed a storm of offense and scored goals two by two. Sean Kreps scored a hat trick and added an assist as the Northstars scored all their goals in their first 22 shots in an 8-1 victory over Montgomery Blair in the quarterfinals of the Maryland Student Hockey League Class 1A playoffs. Six of Washington County's eight goals were scored in sets of two, seconds apart. The Northstars did all their scoring in a 25-minute span and led 8-0 after two periods.

Thursday, January 17, 2013 BOYS BASKETBALL MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Donte Grantham scored a game-high 35 points to lead undefeated Martinsburg to a 78-61 victory over Mercersburg Academy on Thursday. Jalen Lewis had 13 points, four assists and four steals and Grantham added seven rebounds, four steals and a block for the Bulldogs (11-0). Dre Wills had 20 points, Patrick Ryan had 16 points and Reggie Fiumano had 11 points for the Blue Storm (5-6). Martinsburg and Mercersburg combined on 15 3-pointers.