http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/News/press/PR_details.asp?PrID=8656 For Immediate Release: 7/3/2012 Storm Update July 3, 2012 4:30 p.m.; County Announces Storm-Related Operations for July 4 In support of the County’s storm cleanup and restoration efforts, which continue on Independence Day, the following facilities will be open for the convenience of residents on July 4: Libraries, Recreation Centers, Pools The following libraries and community recreation centers will be open during their normal operating hours on July 4 as cooling, drop-in locations: • Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Rd., Silver Spring, 240-777-6820 – open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. • White Oak Community Recreation Center, 240-777-6940 – open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. • Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd., 240-777-0970 – open from noon to 8 p.m. • Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave., 240-777-0678 – open from noon to 8 p.m. The Germantown Aquatic Center in the South Germantown Regional Park, 18000 Central Park Circle, Boyds, will remain open on July 4 until 6 p.m. All other aquatic centers and outdoor pools will operate on normal schedules that day. Transfer Station Open for Residential Customers Only To assist residents still without power and those who are recovering from the aftermath of Friday’s severe storm, the Montgomery County Shady Grove Transfer Station, 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood, will remain open for residential customers only on Wednesday, July 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m On July 4, residents visiting the Transfer Station should use the Route 355 entrance and follow the “Recycling, Trash and Yard Waste” sign. Customers are asked to be patient as there may be a waiting time. Division of Solid Waste officials say that the mid-morning and mid-afternoon hours are traditionally lighter. There is no charge to residents. For more information about Transfer Station hours, cleanup instructions for fallen tree debris and spoiled, rotten food, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/solidwaste. County Crews Will Collect Storm Debris After Recovery Once power has been restored throughout the County and operations are back to normal, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will provide special storm debris collection. The date the collections will begin and additional details will be provided as soon as the information is available. Residents will be asked to place storm debris in the public right-of-way, ensuring that sidewalks, driveways and roads are not blocked. MC311 Call Center Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for July 4 – call 311 or visit www.MC311.com. Other Highlights: • HOV restrictions on I-270 in Montgomery County have been lifted for today and tomorrow for the July 4th holiday. • July 4th fireworks celebrations — Mid-County Sparkles in Kensington, Germantown Glory, City of Rockville and City of Gaithersburg — are cancelled. • Residents can get real-time information on road closures in their neighborhoods on line at http://www5.montgomerycountymd.gov/snowmap/. Enter an address and zoom in to see detailed neighborhood information. Closed roads, or portions of roads that are closed, will appear in black on the map, as noted in the legend on the left side of the page. • PEPCO reports 69,000 customers are still without power in Montgomery County. Important Tips: • Stay up-to-date with changes, cancellations, etc. by subscribing to Alert Montgomery at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov. • 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. Status of County Services: Traffic signals There are still 94 traffic signals without power out of a total of 800. County Police are directing traffic at many critical intersections throughout the County. Drivers are reminded to treat “dark” intersections as four-way stops and be especially aware of pedestrians. Cooling Center The County is also operating a cooling shelter at Richard Montgomery High School, 250 Richard Montgomery Dr., Rockville, for residents who are still without power in their homes. Due to a decrease in demand as power continues to be restored to area residents, the White Oak Community Recreation Center at 1700 April La. is no longer needed for 24-hour shelter accommodations and will close at 9 p.m. tonight. 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 Transit Ride On buses will operate on a Saturday schedule, but expect delays due to downed trees, wires and signal outages. Nine Ride On routes are detoured, so check the website at www.rideonbus.com and click on Delays and Detours for the latest information. Trash, recycling collections There will be no County-provided recycling or trash collections on Wednesday, July 4. Collections for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will shift later by one day. To sign up for trash holiday reminders as email and/or text messages, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/solidwaste. # # # Release ID: 12-196 Media Contact: Patrick Lacefield 240-777-6507 Release ID: 12-184 Media Contact: Sue Tucker 240-286-1166

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