Saturday, October 27, 2012
Hurricane Sandy slowed down overnight, but picked up speed again Saturday morning.
Sandy slowed to a tropical storm overnight, but an Air Force aircraft found hurricane-force winds again Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Hurricane Sandy is a Category I hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, according to NWS. The difference between Sandy and a tropical storm at this point is 2 mph, with 74 mph being the lowest speed that registers as Category I. In the face of Hurricane Sandy's northward movement, NWS has issued a flood watch for Prince George's and Montgomery counties, much of Maryland and the DC metro area starting late Sunday through Tuesday morning. Projections for Sandy show it making landfall late Monday between the Delmarva Peninsula and northern New Jersey, NWS says. The …
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Curse word, curse word, PEPCO, curse word—or, how my family endured the power outage.
I would like to start this column with a sincere hope that you are reading this on a computer plugged into a working outlet in your home and not on a mobile device charged from purloined electricity found in a plug outside a local business. I would like to follow that up with some curse words for PEPCO, but I don't think I'm allowed to do that here. I was watching my twitter stream last Friday night when it started to thunder. I watched the sky flash brightly and read tweet after morose tweet announcing new power outages. Based on the fact that this was a legitimate storm and we tend to lose power in a light breeze, I knew it was just a matter of time until we joined that sad group of the powerless. When our power suddenly blinked out at …
Monday, July 2, 2012
Tell us in our poll and in comments how you think Pepco and BG&E performed after Friday night's storm.
In the aftermath of the snowstorm that hit Maryland in January of 2011, Pepco was slammed for poor response time and communication when around 172,000 Maryland residents were left without power for several days. When Hurricane Irene hit later that year, some thought Pepco had improved its techniques but criticized Baltimore Gas and Electric for its poor service. Now, many Maryland residents are facing outages that could last until Friday or beyond due to the violent storm June 29, according to Pepco officials. In 2011, the American Customer Satisfaction Index gave Pepco a rating of 54 out of 100, but this year, that rating climbed to 69. Is the increased rating deserved? Have you been satisfied with BG&E and Pepco's performance and …
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Crews are being brought in from Oklahoma and the Carolinas to assist in repairs, Pepco Region President Tom Graham said Sunday.
It may take more than a week to restore power across the region in the wake of Friday's violent storms, Pepco Region President Tom Graham told WTOP Sunday morning. "We're working as quickly and safely as we can for our customers, but it's hard work. … It's very labor intensive," Graham said in an on-air interview. According to Graham, Pepco's early efforts have been focused on assessment and repairing the supply lines that feed the utility's substations. "Now that those have been solidified—and those resources have really been behind the scenes, working on the property, restoring that service—now you'll see a greater presence in the community from those resources," Graham said. Graham also said that the utility was bringing in mutual …
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday night's powerful storm system caused severe damage to trees, utility lines, and buildings.
Friday night's powerful storm system caused severe damage to trees, utility poles, and more than a few buildings across the region. Patch headed out Saturday morning to survey the damage. Have your own photos of the damage left by Friday's storm? Post them here using the "Upload Photos and Videos" button above (login required).
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Got storm damage? Keep these guidelines in mind when filing insurance claims.
Strong storms swept across the state Friday. Maryland Insurance Commissioner Therese M. Goldsmith released the following guidelines Saturday to help residents prepare insurance claims: For more information, click here to visit the Maryland Insurance Administration’s Web site and go to the link to Insurance Preparedness for Natural Disasters, under the "Hot Topics" tab. Hurricane season began Friday. Click here for hurricane preparedness tips.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The task force is on "Alert Status" to assist with Hurricane Irene.
As Hurricane Irene approaches, its unpredictability has federal officials preparing for the worst. Maryland Task Force 1 and Virginia Task Force 1 were recently placed on "Alert Status" in the event the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needs assistance. They have not been activated. The task force in Maryland is a combination of emergency personnel, said Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Scott Graham. It includes about 80 trained responders in various fields, including canines, communication specialists, technical rescue personnel, physicians and paramedics. The team will have access to 15 trucks carrying medical supplies and logistical equipment, along with search and rescue equipment. Track the storm.
Bailey Henneberg
7:11 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Good reminder Steve! more ›