Friday, February 8, 2013
The blackout was caused by a tree that fell on a transmission line, according to Pepco.
Update, 3:52 p.m.: Pepco has now restored power to all but a handful of homes and businesses, with just 275 of the utility's 225,560 Prince George's customers still in the dark. Update, 3:05 p.m.: Three hours after a falling tree left tens of thousands of Pepco customers without power in and around Prince George's County, the utility reports that some 17,123 homes and businesses across the county are still in the dark. Update, 1:58 p.m.: At last count, the number of Prince George's County Pepco customers affected by Friday's outage had climbed to 39,866—or about 18 percent of the utility's 225,560 homes and businesses in the county. Original article, 12:51 p.m.: About 30,000 Pepco customers in Prince George's County were left without …
Friday, July 13, 2012
Metro officials announced Thursday that they plan to revise their evacuation procedures and emergency response guidelines during periods of extreme weather.
After a Green Line train lost power between Greenbelt and College Park on July 3 causing passengers to begin an impromptu disembarkation, followed three days later by a train derailment on the same line, Metro officials have said they need to revise their guidelines for emergency situations. The Washington Post reports that Dave Kubicek, the transit agency’s deputy general manger of operations, said Thursday that Metro would take measures to improve emergency responses. The train derailment was reportedly caused by excessive heat that formed a kink in the tracks. However, the bigger issue than the derailment and technical problems was the communication breakdown, Metro board members said, according to The Post. “We have a good capacity to …
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Service between Greenbelt and College Park grinds to a halt after train loses power outside station.
According to WMATA and Prince George's County fire officials, a Green Line train was disabled in College Park around 6 p.m. Riders were told to vacate the train and some were walking along the tracks, according to photos and tweets shared on social media. WMATA is sending a crew to the scene and Prince George's County Fire Department is also responding to a report of a sick passenger on scene. Green Line trains will be turning around at Prince George's Plaza and delays should be expected.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Thousands remain without power nearly three days after severe storms lashed the region.
Update, 5:41 p.m.: At last count, about 3,940 homes and businesses were still without power in College Park zip codes (though again, that number includes some customers in neighboring towns). Countywide, the number had ticked down to 46,638, or about 21 percent Meanwhile, the state's death toll since Friday's storms climbed to six, and the Prince George's County Fire Department said that it had received three times as many emergency calls as normal on Saturday. Reports of price gouging are also trickling in across the state. If you spot any suspiciously high prices at gas stations, grocery stores, or hotels in the area, drop an email to johnd@patch.com. Update, 1:01 p.m.: We're told that a number of households in the Berwyn neighborhood of…
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
Follow the chart from the USDA to determine if your food will be safe, plus tips on cooking without power.
Well, your power is out. Or at least, it was out at some point on Friday and Saturday because of the violent storms. What do you do with food in the refrigerator and freezer when your power goes out? The United States Department of Agriculture says to keep meat, poultry, fish and eggs refrigerated at or below 40 degrees. Frozen food should be stored at or below zero degrees. Check out the attached PDF for information on cooking without power. The USDA advises to "keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature." "The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half …
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Residents describe a tornado-like storm that tore roofs off houses, caused minor injuries.
A sudden storm that officials called a "microburst" -- a violent downward draft of air -- swept through a Bladensburg neighborhood last night, snapping trees, blowing roofs off buildings and leaving residents in the dark and seeking shelter. Looking for real time information about your neighborhood? Sign up for our newsletters, find us on Facebook and Twitter. Residents were told they could go to Bladensburg High School at 4200 57th Ave. for shelter at 2 p.m. Saturday, if they were displaced by the storm. Transportation was being provided by Prince George's County to take those who sought shelter. Officials said the storm hit at 8:07 p.m., damaging some 15 apartment buildings and a single-family home on Newton Street between 52nd and 55th …
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Hurricane Irene welcomed students back to the University of Maryland by knocking out the power.
It’s the first Sunday morning that the University of Maryland students are back in College Park, and they’re hungry. “Everything is closed right now, so we have nothing to eat,” Laura Steere, a freshman, said as she sat on a bench near Baltimore Avenue with fellow freshman Anna Cardoni. They weren’t alone. By about 11 a.m., students were roaming downtown College Park, searching for a business that was unscathed by the tropical storm that swept through overnight. But it seemed every single restaurant and store in the area was without power. “We’re really hungry, and we’re thirsty right now,” Cardoni said. Students weren’t the only ones hanging around, just waiting. Across the street, bar and restaurant owners Pat Aheren of RJ Bentley’s and …
Friday, August 26, 2011
Pepco, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company prepare for widespread outages. Prince George's County Fire Department issues power outage and generator safety tips.
With Pepco electric company and the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company both anticipating widespread power outages resulting from impacts from Hurricane Irene, some might be turning to a generator. Hazards associated with using a generator improperly are carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock or electrocution, and fire. To avoid these, the Prince George's County Fire Department shares precautions for those who decide to use a generator to keep the lights on: Here are some other safety tips from the fire department, if you're left in the dark this Hurricane Weekend (and next week ...):
George Karadimas
6:21 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
VOX POPULI..Let them hear Us Loud and Clear! "Dear MSMA Member, Because we realize some of you do not have enough time to go on line and download a letter to your delegates, we are making it very easy for you to get involved. While letters and face-to-face meetings are much more effective, signing the petition below is much simpler and will have some impact. The petition urges your Maryland … more ›