With more than 50 roads still closed, 28 of 53 school buildings and 30,000 residents without power, an untold number of intersections remaining without power, and an uncertain timetable for the electricity to begin flowing, Harford County Public Schools will once again delay the start to its 2011-2012 school year by canceling classes on Tuesday. Harford County government, however, will be opening at 10 a.m. Tuesday with a liberal leave policy in effect.
Elsewhere, five yard debris sites have opened in locations across the county to accomodate those cleaning up their property, but tens of thousands of Harford County residents remain without power – and may not see their lights switched back on until the weekend.
Harford County Councilman Jim McMahan relayed the following disquieting statement from BG&E on Monday afternoon:
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Expects Electric Service to Vast Majority of Customers Currently Without Service Following Hurricane Irene to be Restored by Late Friday with Some Isolated and Scattered Outages Possibly Extending into Saturday.
From Harford County government:
Harford County Government to Open Tuesday
Although there are more than 50 roads throughout the county that remain closed due to downed trees and electric lines, and more than 28,000 BGE customers without electricity, county government will be re-opening on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. with a liberal leave policy in effect for county employees. Critical employees are to report as usual.
Commenting on the status of recovery efforts in the county, County Executive David R. Craig stated, “Our first responders, local, county and state law enforcement personnel, BGE and Delmarva Power, as well as countless dedicated county employees, are working tirelessly to return the county to a state of normalcy as quickly as possible. Hurricane Irene caused many challenges for the citizens of Harford County, but we are working hard to recover from this devastating storm as quickly as possible,” the County Executive stated.
From Harford County Public Schools:
Due to numerous school power outages and intersection closures throughout the county, Harford County Public Schools will be CLOSED on Tuesday, August 30th, employees CODE GREEN.
From Harford County government:
County Executive Craig Updates Citizens on Hurricane Response, Announces Debris Drop-off Sites
Emergency shelter no longer open, Crews working to restore infrastructureHarford County Executive David R. Craig held a briefing at the Emergency Operations Center in Hickory on Monday to give an update on storm recovery efforts.
County Executive Craig announced that the county will have available a total of five drop-off sites where residents can dispose of tree debris. In addition to the usual locations at Scarboro and Tollgate, three temporary satellite locations will be operating in Aberdeen, Edgewood, and Havre de Grace. Details on each location are as follows:
– Harford Waste Disposal Center (3135 Scarboro Road, Street):
Effective immediately and until further notice, the Harford Waste Disposal Center’s Yard Trim Facility will be open to the public 7am to 4pm, Mondays through Saturdays. Both residential and commercial loads will be accepted.– Tollgate Drop-off site (703 North Tollgate Road, Bel Air):
Beginning Tuesday, August 30, the Tollgate Yard trim drop-off site will be open from 7am to 3pm, Tuesdays through Fridays. From Saturday, September 3 to Monday, September 5 (Labor Day), the site will be open from 7am to 5pm. Thereafter, the site will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays 7am to 3pm until further notice. This site only accepts residential loads.The following satellite sites will be open to the public beginning Tuesday, August 29, through Monday, September 5, from 7am to 5pm. These sites are for residential customers only:
– Aberdeen Public Works Maintenance Shop parking lot, Michael Lane, Aberdeen (off Old Post Road);
– Edgewood Recreation Park parking lot, 1702 Trimble Road, Edgewood (across from the Kohl’s warehouse);
– Havre de Grace Community Center, 100 Lagaret Lane, Havre de Grace.As of noon on Monday, the emergency shelter at the Patterson Mill Middle/High School was closed. A small number of residents who were using the shelter were transported to local hotels.
The Harford County Emergency Information line (410-838-5800) will be operational until 11:00pm on Monday, and thereafter will operate daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm until further notice.
The Division of Emergency Operations (EOC) advises residents who have sustained storm-related damage to their living spaces to contact the EOC at 410-838-5800, or the Department of Inspections, Licenses, and Permits at 410-638-3385. It is particularly important for homeowners and renters who do not have insurance to do so, because it opens the door for various assistance programs that may become available. It is also recommended that residents photograph damage to their homes.
As of 4:00 PM on Monday, there were 54 sections of county-maintained roads that were closed. Another 97 roads that had been closed had been cleared and reopened. County highways crews are working diligently to clear roads, and an updated listing of the status of county roads is available at www.harfordcountymd.gov/alerts/RoadStatus.cfm.
Also as of 4:00 PM, utility companies are reporting approximately 30,000 customers in Harford County without power. Utility crews are in the field working to restore power as quickly as possible. However given the large amount of homes and businesses without power, utility companies are advising that it may take a number of days before all power is restored.
Drivers are reminded to treat intersections without functioning traffic signals as four-way stops. Also, residents using generators are advised to ensure that there is adequate ventilation so as to negate the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
For more information on Harford County’s recovery from Hurricane Irene, visit the county’s website at www.harfordcountymd.gov.
The Bel Air Fire Company has been getting a lot of calls in reference to home medical equipment and mainly oxygen supply. The following directions were supplied by Bel Air Fire Chief Bill Snyder. Please pass this to folks who do not have internet access due to electric outage:
Citizens needing help with home medical equipment due to power loss shall report to Main lobby of [Upper Chesapeake Medical Center]. They will be directed to a conference room where they can operate their equipment.
Bill Snyder
Chief
Bel Air FD
Stay tuned to The Dagger for continued updates and send us updates of your own at tellus@daggerpress.com
Sounds like no school this week!
I’m sorry my statement caused a negative reader reaction.
Drivers ed should be held however…
That’s For Sure! The sad (Scary!) thing is that everyone out there has supposedly passed a Drivers Ed course. Why do so many Not know that a non-working traffic light = a 4-way STOP !? Not “I think the road I’m on is more important than the one you’re on so I’m just going to plow right through this intersection”
Not to mention the fact that we all got a call REMINDING us that an out traffic light is a 4 way stop. People didn’t even have to remember it!
You may want to double check that. It may be in Maryland that at intersections where there is not a favored road, the law is to proceed in a reasonable and prudent manner. AT an intersection with a favored road, the boulevard rule may apply and the driver on the favored road may have the right of way.
Anyways, have a nice day.
Paul
Whatever the technical law may be, I think you’re an idiot if you come to any intersection with a light that is out and don’t treat it as a 4 way stop.
Doesn’t really matter what you or I think. The law is the law. I am not advocating it, just stating the facts. I personally stop at 4-way intersections.
Anyways, have a nice day.
Paul
Paul – I hope you’re wrong because that’s an even scarier thought considering how many non-regular commuters may not know which is the ‘favored’ road. I’ll have to check in to that if I get the time. In the meantime, I’ll keep cussing out the folks who plow right through 😉 Food for thought – thanks!
Hey HCPSMOMX2,
Here is a link to an article on intersections with malfunctioning lights. http://www.marylandaccidentattorneyblog.com/2009/02/standard_of_care_applied_to_ma.html
Now, even though this article addresses the civil aspect as opposed to the criminal aspect, it is still applicable as there are not any ordinances or laws (that I have ever been able to locate), specifically addressing the question of who has the right of way at an intersection with traffic lights that are not functioning. There are specific laws, such as at an entrance ramp from a highway or at a “T” intersection, but generally, no specific law.
Again, I stop at these intersections, even if I am the favored driver, as I don’t think most know, understand, or follow the law.
As for favored roads, generally, a side street is an unfavored road when intersecting with a “main road”. But again, I would stop here as I just don’t trust most will do what they are supposed to do.
Anyways, have a nice day.
Paul
Paul, my earlier comment was the general “you” not the personal one.
I got a little schooled on the favored roads laws when I had my one and only fender bender several years ago. I was pulling out of a side road with a stop sign onto a US Route to make a right turn. I stopped. A moment later another car pulled into the turn lane for my side street with a left turn signal on (traveling from right to left). When traffic broke, I looked and proceeded onto the route. Unfortunately, the other driver was actually making a U-Turn, not a left turn, and we couldn’t avoid each other. It was on a hill, and the only reason I was making my turn was because I had just came from where he was and decided that a U-Turn didn’t seem safe. But U-Turns weren’t prohibited, and I was determined at fault only because I was on the unfavored (smaller) road.
Just another example that you can’t ever assume what other drivers are going to do.
Hey Noble,
I appreciate you clarifying that for me. I generally try not to personally attack someone on here and I am glad the “you” was in the general sense.
The laws in general, and Maryland, specifically, when it comes to traffic, are very congested and in many cases, unclear. In your scenario, I could see numerous judges (or juries) determining it would be contributory negligence in a civil trial and in a criminal trial it being the fault of both as well, with each person being issued citations. As you said, we definitely can’t assume what others will do.
Anyways, have a nice day.
Paul
“The favored driver may safely assume that the unfavored driver will yield, and may proceed through the intersection without stopping. Though the favored driver has the right of way, he is not absolved of his duty to drive lawfully and to proceed through the intersection with reasonable care. MPJI-Cv 18:2 Boulevard Rule. Favored drivers may assume that unfavored drivers will obey the law, but they may not ignore an obvious danger.”
Paul – The ambiguity of the cases/decisions cited in the link make me even more nervous! 🙂 So, if I use what I believe to be reasonable care and Stop even though I’m the favored driver, but the guy behind me believes reasonable care is continuing through without stopping (because we’re on the ‘main’ road), who gets the ticket when he rear-ends me? Him for following too closely or me for stopping ‘unexpectedly’. 😉
I say everybody Stop and that’s reasonable care. That’s also what we were taught in Drivers Ed (Harford Cty Schools – circa 1980 – shortly After some of these rulings)with no mentions of boulevard rules or favored drivers.
Unfortunately, you are correct – what we “think” isn’t what matters.
Thanks for enlightening me and I shall go back to stopping at malfunctioning lights and avoiding major intersections where possible … until the lights come back on!! 🙂
Hey HCPSMOMX2,
Yes, they are very ambiguous. As for the scenario, I would imagine the driver that rear-ended the driver in front would be liable/negligent, though, there have been “sudden stop” cases in which they were found to either be not liable or merely contributory negligent, and they may or may not get a ticket. Dealing with the legal system is challenging, at best.
I also would like for everyone to stop, and our neighbor states actually have laws regarding malfunctioning traffic signals, it is unfortunate Maryland does not.
Anyways, have a nice day.
Paul