·      Montgomery County's MC311 Call Center is open. Call 311 or 240-777-0311. Residents can also report downed trees and other non-emergency issues by using the web portal at www.mc311.com either through home or office computers or through mobile devices.

·      To report “hot” or sparkling wires, especially those across roadways, call 911.

·      To report power outages, call Pepco at 877-737-2662, Potomac Edison at 888-544-4877, or Baltimore Gas & Electric at 877-778-2222.

ADVICE:

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

·      Residents with generators should ensure that generators remain in well-ventilated, outdoor spaces to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Residents using chainsaws should exercise maximum caution to avoid downed wires.

·      Residents are reminded to check on their neighbors, especially seniors.

COOLING CENTERS, POOLS, RECREATION CENTERS AND COMMUNITY USE ACTIVITIES:

·      Montgomery County has two “cooling shelters” that remain open at Richard Montgomery High School (250 Richard Montgomery Drive in Rockville) and White Oak Recreation Center, (1700 April Lane in White Oak.) Clarksburg High School has closed as a cooling shelter. Bring prescription medicines, critical phone numbers, and any comfort items such as personal pillows.

·      The following pools are closed today: Kennedy-Shriver I; Long Branch; Upper County – Gaithersburg; Wheaton-Glenmont; Bethesda; and Poolesville and Germantown and Olney indoor pools.   Martin Luther King pool is normally closed on Sundays and will not open today.  Residents are advised to call the pools and/or recreation centers directly for schedules and availability.

·      Wheaton Regional Park, including Wheaton Train and Carousel, Wheaton Picnic Area and Wheaton Athletic Area has reopened for visitors.  Permit holders at the affected parks or facilities that are inaccessible are asked to contact the Park Permits Office at 301-595-2525 on Monday to reschedule or obtain refunds.  To report downed trees or other problems or maintenance issues in parks, contact the Montgomery Parks Service Center at 301-670-8080.  Visitors are urged to use caution when travelling to or visiting parks or trails as crews are working to remove dangerous or downed trees.

·      All scheduled Recreational Department programs and activities are cancelled.

·      Community use activities scheduled for Montgomery County Public Schools are cancelled. 

FOOD SAFETY:

·      Food in the refrigerator is safe if the power has been off for no more than four hours. After that, discard perishables such as meat, poultry, soft cheese, eggs and leftovers. Check out www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/keeping_food_Safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp for more details and a chart.

·      A full freezer can keep food frozen for 48 hours after a loss of power. A half-full freezer can keep food frozen for 24 hours

THE SITUATION:

·      182,000 Pepco customers remain without power out of 309,000 in Montgomery County. 

·      Montgomery County road crews and contractors are clearing damage, beginning with primary and secondary roads and then on to neighborhoods.  Crews are also assisting Pepco with downed trees entangled with utility lines and wires.

·      Water conservation restrictions were lifted at noon.

·      440 out of 800 traffic signals are still without power across the County.

·      Ride On buses are operating on a Sunday schedule, but there are delays due to detours as the result of downed trees and wires.

·      The AT&T National Golf Tournament at Congressional Country Club concludes today, with public attendance.

·      The Ride On Route 36 bus will be providing special service to the main walk-in entrance for the AT&T Golf Tournament between 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

·      Residents who have cats or dogs and are planning to use a County shelter can drop off their pets at the Humane Society Shelter at 14645 Rothgeb Drive in Rockville.  If it is possible to call first, call the emergency number at 240-773-5900.  After 5 p.m. when the shelter has closed for walk-in service, those arriving at the shelter should use the front door buzzer to gain admittance.

·      Residents should be advised that the Gaithersburg Interim Library has limited capacity if residents wish to use this facility to cool off.

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