Critical Preparedness Note from From Eric Costello, 11th District:

11th District Neighbors, please see critical preparedness information below re: Hurricane Florence. Note that much of this information is relevant to other emergency situations.

According to current weather forecasts, it appears that the major part of Hurricane Florence’s impact will be far South of us. That does not mean that we are in the clear. Hurricanes can shift direction at the last minute and have the potential to inundate a large region with days of heavy rainfall. While we are all hoping that Baltimore City is spared from the storm, I want to make sure you have critical information necessary to be better prepared, all in one centralized location. As things evolve over the next few days, I will follow-up with additional information including how City services may be impacted.

THIS COMMUNICATION INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
1- Citizen Preparedness – tips on how to be better prepared for a storm.
2- Reducing the Likelihood of Flooding in Your Neighborhood – keeping trash and leaves out of storm drain inlets.
3- Reporting a Power Outage – multiple ways to contact BGE.
4- Internet Connectivity During the Storm – Comcast providing free access to WiFi hotspots through Monday, Sep 17.
5- Other Important Information

1 – CITIZEN PREPAREDNESS
Citizens are advised to review their own emergency plans and be prepared with an emergency kit, and to have these supplies on hand to cope with any weather or other emergency: flashlights (do NOT use candles); extra, fresh batteries; portable radio/TV; bottled water; canned foods; manual can opener; and fully charged cell phone. For more information on how to prepare for an emergency, please visit:
• The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) website on hurricanes at: https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes
• The Maryland Emergency Management Agency’s (MEMA) website on hurricanes at: https://mema.maryland.gov/Pages/resources-hurricane.aspx
• The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management’s website (MOEM) at: https://emergency.baltimorecity.gov/
• BGE’s Storm Readiness website: https://www.bge.com/Outages/StormCenter/Pages/StormReadiness.aspx
As the rain picks up, please be sure to check in on neighbors who are elderly, disabled, or have young children to see if they need help.

2 – REDUCING LIKELIHOOD OF FLOODING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
At this time of year leaves can also become a source of storm inlet blockage. Sweeping leaves and trash from sidewalks, alleys, gutters, and storm drain inlets will keep this material out of the drains. Check the storm drain inlets in close proximity to your residence or job. These are the grates along the curbs and in the alleys which allow water to enter the storm drain system, thus preventing flooding. If the drain appears to be blocked, please call 311 immediately so DPW crews can address it. Please follow-up with my office at the contact info below with the 311 Service Request Number (SRN) and exact location / description of the issue so that we may track and expedite.

3 – REPORTING A POWER OUTAGE
BGE asks all customers, including those with smart meters, to report any outages. Outages and downed wires may be reported by calling 877-778-2222, online here and via BGE’s free mobile app available at the Apple Store at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bge-an-exelon-company/id1274170174?mt=8 or Google Play at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.exelon.mobile.bge&hl=en_US. Customers may also report outages, on www.BGE.com and through mobile devices. To sign up for email and text notifications, visit BGE.com/alerts.

4 – INTERNET CONNECTIVITY DURING A STORM
Comcast owns and operates thousands of WiFi hotspots in the greater Baltimore area. To help residents and emergency personnel stay connected for free during the storm, Comcast has in the past, and may again open more than 55,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots across Maryland to anyone who needs them – including non-Xfinity Internet customers. To access Xfinity WiFi hotspots:
• For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which are located both indoors and outdoors in places such as shopping districts, parks, businesses and train platforms, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi
• Once at a hotspot, select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser;
• Xfinity Internet customers can sign in with their username and password, and will be automatically connected at Xfinity WiFi hotspots in the future;
• Non-Xfinity Internet customers should visit the “Not an Xfinity Internet Customer” section on the sign-in page to get started;
• Non-customers have been able to renew their complimentary sessions every two hours during the emergency.

5 – OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If you are experiencing a police, fire, or health emergency, please dial 911 immediately. If you are experiencing an issue with City services, please call 311, or file a report online at: https://balt311.baltimorecity.gov/. You can follow-up with my office with the 311 SRN and my office will assist in tracking and expediting.
I will provide more frequent updates on social media, please feel free to follow me at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CouncilmanETC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CouncilmanETC
Thanks, Eric
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Eric T. Costello
Baltimore City Council, 11th District
(m) 443-813-1457 | (o) 410-396-4816
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