SUMMER STORM UPDATE

Power Restoration Status (updated):

• 5,535 Pepco customers remain without power in Montgomery County.
• Pepco is urging residents whose time for power restoration has passed to call Pepco to ensure that they still have the address on their outage list. In addition, if a resident’s power was restored but has gone out again, call v to report the new outage.
• To report power outages, call Pepco at 877-737-2662. Other utility providers in Montgomery County are Allegheny Power at 800-255-3443, or Baltimore Gas & Electric at 877-778-2222.
• To report “hot” or sparking 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):

• About six traffic signals remain dark. Police officers are directing traffic at many of these intersections.
• Treat all “dark” intersections as four-way stops. Stop - then proceed cautiously. This is critically important to ensuring vehicular and pedestrian safety.
• About 11 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.

Libraries (new):

• Power has been restored to the Silver Spring Library. The library will open today, but the opening will be delayed to about 11:30 a.m. to allow the air conditioning to cool off the building.
• All other libraries will be open for their regular operating hours today.

Recreation Programs/Pools (reported last night):

• Classes, camps or programs at the following locations are cancelled for Thursday, July 29:

o Burning Tree Elementary School
o Carderock Springs Elementary School
o Concord Center
o Glenallan Elementary School
o Harmony Hills Elementary School
o Highland View Elementary School
o Julius West Middle School
o Sligo Middle School
o Strathmore Elementary School
o Westland Middle School

• All other Montgomery County Recreation Department programs will return to regular operations, locations and schedules on Thursday, July 29.
• For the latest updates or other information, go to the Recreation website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.

Parks (updated):

• Brookside Gardens’ Conservatory Building and the Wings of Fancy Butterfly Show will reopen today at 10 a.m.
• Wheaton Ice Rink will reopen today at 4:15 p.m. for the public session.
• Brookside Nature Center remains closed due to damage from a fallen tree.
• 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.
• All other facilities are open for their normal operating hours.
• Additional updates will be posted at http://www.montgomeryparks.org/.

Tree Debris Collection:

On Private Property:

• Tree debris on private property will be collected on a residents’ regular recycling day if it is no more than four-feet in length and four inches in diameter.
• Bag, bundle, or containerize tree branches and limbs, keeping bundles less than 45 pounds and less than 30 inches in diameter.
• Tree debris that is too large for curbside collection, or cannot be bagged, bundled, or containerized can be recycled at no charge to single family home residents (up to 500 pounds) at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station, located at 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood. Check the County’s website for hours of operation.
• Another option is to contact a private company, such a tree service, landscaping or lawn service, for assistance in removing and disposing of storm debris.
• Residents may want to check with their home insurance company, which may cover storm debris removal and disposal.

In the Public Right-of-Way:

• The County’s Department of Transportation’s crews are collecting trees and branches that have fallen into the public right-of-way.
• County crews are out in full force on plow routes collecting storm debris from County right-of-ways.
• Crews have not yet completed all routes throughout the County.
• To report tree debris in the public right-of-way, call 3-1-1.

Other County Services (reported last night):

• The Department of Permitting Services will operate at its normal location, 255 Rockville Pike, today.

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/.

The County's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security presented information on Tuesday 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.