Community Corner
(Updated) 19,974 Without Power in Howard County
In some cases, power won't come back until the weekend, BGE officials said.
This story was updated at 10:30 a.m. Monday
About 20,000 people remain without power in Howard County, amid warnings from BGE that power restoration efforts for some could extend into this weekend.
BGE officials likened the damage from Friday night’s storm to that of a hurricane or tropical storm, and said nearly 900 out-of-state utility workers are involved in restoration efforts.
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Meanwhile, highs are expected to reach 91 degrees Monday in Howard County. BGE has restored power to 34,547 Howard County customers since Friday’s storm, the company reported as of Sunday night.
Cooling centers are open Monday at all county libraries, as well as the Gary J. Arthur Community Center (2400 Rt. 97,) the and any county government building that has space available, county officials said.
Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Outages are scattered across portions of the county, said Nancy Lewin, a spokesperson in the Howard County Emergency Operations Center, which is coordinating storm response efforts.
Main Street Ellicott City has power back to “at least some businesses,” spokesman Kevin Enright said Sunday.
The Howard County George Howard building also has gotten its power back. Howard County government officials announced that non-essential Howard County employees were granted liberal leave for Monday July 2.
A total of 18 schools in , meaning all school or community-sponsored activities there are cancelled, officials said.
Some Columbia Association facilities are also still without power. Both the Supreme Sports Club and the Columbia Swim Center will not open before 7 a.m. Monday, officials said. Members should call (410) 715-3154 Monday morning for updates.
The State Highway Administration is also urging motorists in the Washington suburban region to use the metro for Monday commutes. In the Baltimore area, “Light Rail, Baltimore Metro Subway and MARC are the suggested options,” according to a press release.
“This is a very serious situation and drivers need to be patient and allow extra time to commute in the morning as many traffic signals may still be without power,” said SHA Administrator Melinda Peters in a press release. “At a signaled intersection where traffic lights are not operating, it is imperative to treat it as a four-way stop, but remain extra cautious of other drivers that may think they have the right-of-way.”
Howard County officials said Sunday their biggest concern was clearing area roads.
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