Wednesday, July 28, 2010

SUMMER STORM UPDATE FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Power Restoration Status (updated):
* 29,372 Pepco customers remain without power in Montgomery County.

* To report power outages, call Pepco at 877-737-2662, Allegheny Power at

800-255-3443, or Baltimore Gas & Electric at 877-778-2222.

* To report "hot" or sparkling wires, especially those across roadways, call 911.

* As Pepco restores power in areas, downed wires that were previously dead may become live. Residents are urged to exercise extreme caution around any downed power line.

* Pepco has about 400 crews at work.

Traffic and Ride On (updated):

* 15 traffic signals remain dark, mostly in the Bethesda area. Police officers are directing traffic at these intersections.

* Treat all "dark" intersections as four-way stops. Stop - then proceed cautiously. This is critically important to ensuring vehicular and pedestrian safety.

* 35 County roads remain blocked by fallen trees or downed wires.

* To report downed trees in the public right-of-way, call 3-1-1, or, if calling from outside Montgomery County, 240-777-0311. The 311 Call Center will reopen at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning.

* County crews are out in full force on plow routes sweeping roads and County right-of-ways for storm debris.

* Ride On is operating on a normal schedule. Check www.rideonbus.com for more information.

Shelters (updated):

* The shelter located at Richard Montgomery High School has closed.

Food Safety:

Residents:

* Residents who remain without power should take steps to ensure that food left in the refrigerator and freezer is safe.

* According to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service, meat, poultry, fish and eggs should be refrigerated at 40° F and frozen food at or below 0° F, which may be difficult with a prolonged power outage.

* View consumer safety tips on the County's website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/.

Food Service Facilities:

* Keep freezers closed. A full, freestanding freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for about two days; a half-full freezer about one day.

* If available, 25 pounds of dry ice should be sufficient for a 10-cubic foot freezer for three to four days. Carefully follow the handling instructions for dry ice.

* Keep refrigerators closed. Refrigerated food is safe if the power is out only for short periods.

* For more information, contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-800-535-4555.

* For information from Montgomery County Licensure and Regulatory Services, call 3-1-1.

* View food service safety tips on the County's website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/.

Recreation Programs/Pools:

* All Department of Recreation facilities, including pools, are open, with accompanying programs in those facilities continuing as scheduled.

NORTHERN REGION CAMPS

All Up County sites will return to normal scheduling. Extended and bus hubs will be in place.

MID COUNTY REGION:

All mid county sites will return to normal scheduling. Extended and bus hubs will be in place.

DOWN COUNTY REGION CAMPS:

Potomac Extended and bus Route PT07 will be relocated to Bells Mill Elementary School. Center Stage, Third Quarter and Patowmack will be relocated to Bells Mill Elementary. Pyle Extended Camp, Arrowhead and the PY08 Bus route will be relocated to Lawton Community Center.

THERAPEUTIC RECREATION

Personal Pursuits and Camp Apollo will meet at Rock Terrace High and be transported off-site if the school remains without power. Big Pines, Little Pines and TR Summer Teen will meet at Bauer Drive Community Center. Project Discovery and Creative Afternoons will be canceled if Forest Knolls Elementary remains without power.

SUMMER FUN CENTERS:

These sites will be canceled for Wednesday July 28, 2010:

Chevy Chase Elementary
Highland View Elem
Wheaton High School
Wyngate Elementary
Coffield Community Center

CLASSES and CONTRACT CAMPS:

Those scheduled in schools and facilities without power will be canceled.

Parks (updated):

* Brookside Gardens and the Visitors Center is open. The Conservatory and Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly Exhibit remain closed. Visitors should avoid Glenallan Avenue between the Conservatory Entrance and the Visitors Center Entrance because of a downed tree.

* The following facilities will be open Wednesday: Cabin John Miniature Train, Cabin John Ice Rink, South Germantown Splash Park and Miniature Golf facility, Wheaton Indoor Tennis Center, Pauline Betz Addie Tennis Center at Cabin John Regional Park, the Black Hill Regional Park boat rental facility, Needwood boat rental facility (at Rock Creek Park), Meadowside Nature Center, the Park Permit Office in Silver Spring, Locust Grove Nature Center and Ovid Hazen Wells Carousel at Wheaton Regional Park.

* The following facilities remain closed: Wheaton Ice Rink, Wheaton Miniature Train, and Brookside Nature Center.

* In the train, carousel and picnic shelter area of Wheaton Regional Park, patrons are advised to stay away from fallen trees and all areas enclosed with caution tape. Crews will be clearing this area as soon as possible.

* Additional updates will be posted at http://www.montgomeryparks.org/.

Other County Services (updated):

* County departments located at 255 Rockville Pike will resume operations there today.
* Trash and recycling pickups will operate on normal schedules.
* Little Falls library remains closed. County offices at 11 N. Washington are also still without power.
* Montgomery College campuses are open.

The County's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security presented information yesterday to the Montgomery County Council about the County's response to the severe storm. See the presentation on the County's website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/.

Alerts and updates are available on the County's Facebook page and through Twitter. Sign up for Alert Montgomery on the County's website at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov/.

Check http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ for updated information on County facilities, programs, and services.

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