Metro News Release

For immediate release: September 16, 2003

Metro prepares for hurricane Isabel

Metro officials have put aggressive plans into place to prevent this week’s expected arrival of Hurricane Isabel and the winds, rain and flooding expected to accompany it from affecting Metrorail and Metrobus service. Maintenance workers and directors are putting plans in place to transport sand bags to staging areas, monitor drainage pumping stations, and other sites, and establish a command center to oversee and direct emergency operations. With the weather forecast for high winds and heavy rainfall, officials are doing everything they can to protect the regional rail and bus system from experiencing water damage. Metro’s trains operate along an electrified third rail which provides power to the train engines. If water reaches that power line, trains will not be able to operate. "We’re doing what we can to prepare for the possibility of flooding," said Metro CEO Richard A. White. "We are not going to wait to see how bad it gets. We are pro-actively moving forward with the expectation that the wind and rain will be heavy. "We’re establishing an emergency command center for continuous monitoring and to offer coordinated emergency response and operations," he explained. Metro’s plant maintenance staff has been working to ensure the drainage areas near Metrorail stations and yards are clear to ensure that nothing is causing the rain to backing up at those points. Metro maintenance staff has been working fill 10,000 sand bags. The sandbags will be loaded onto trucks to be staged at several locations throughout the system to allow for a rapid response. They will be staged at Metro’s Turner Facility in Landover, MD, the Alexandria Yard in Virginia, Metro Center in downtown Washington, at Metro’s Blair Road facility, in Northwest Washington as well as at the West Falls Church, Branch Avenue, New Carrollton, Shady Grove, Greenbelt and Glenmont Rail Yards. The sandbags will be placed at stations which historically have had water flow over the curb and down escalators into the stations such as the Cleveland Park, Archives-Navy Memorial, and Mt. Vernon Square-Convention Center Metrorail stations. The Smithsonian Metrorail station also occasionally has seen high water run-off from The Mall into the station via vent shafts. Metro staff will also have chain saws ready to remove trees that may fall across tracks in the high winds. Bus and rail supervisors and station managers have checked to ensure that their emergency kits are ready, batteries fresh, and emergency procedures have been reviewed. Manpower will be in ample supply with support mechanics working around-the-clock in 12-hour shifts starting Thursday morning to monitor drainage pumping stations to ensure continuous operation. Additional plumbers are reporting to assist during each shift, and maintenance personnel who usually have other responsibilities will be available to respond as the needs dictate. Metrobus street supervisors will monitor locations around the area for potential drainage problems, to provide critical information to the assembled team of flood-control workers. Large emergency water pumps are available for dispatch as needed. Metrobuses will detour around downed trees and flooded streets. "We are bracing for a bad situation in hopes that our pre-storm preparations will protect our system from what the forecasters are telling us is going to be a very real potential flood situation," Mr. White said.

News release issued on September 16, 2003.