After the Storm: Cecil County Recovers but Bay, Susquehanna Still a Worry

Cecil County began recovery from the mega-storm Sandy on Tuesday, after much of the region dodged the worst predictions of flooding and wind damage. But there were still concerns that post-Sandy flooding and environmental damage could affect the county from higher water levels on the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River. Most of Cecil County escaped the worst of the hybrid storm, which slammed New Jersey and New York City with record flooding, and widespread local power outages were moving quickly to be repaired by Delmarva and Choptank crews. But state officials and independent weather experts warned that area residents might not have seen the last of the storm as tidal water levels may still rise and cause flooding. Shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley said it was “a pleasant surprise that we were not hit as hard” by the super storm as had been feared. “We prepared for the worst and the people of Maryland really rose to the occasion,” he said. But shortly after the governor’s press conference, state officials reported that the death toll had risen to three, with a report of a storm-related auto fatality in Prince George’s county. Earlier, another traffic fatality was [...]