So hot that the Brass Knob on 18th St, NW needed to cover their door handles with cloth because the metal heated up too much. Crazy!
weather
“This lake is a little past Harrisonburg, VA in the Shenandoahs.”
I want to be there!!!
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“Dear PoPville,
Day 5 of no power, but Pepco installs a street light!
How is it that Pepco sends out a crew everyday this week to install a street light when the residents of the street are STILL WITHOUT POWER?! How dare they brag about restoring 90%!”
Another resident has started a change.org petition with over 1500 hundred signatures as of Thurs. evening:
Pepco makes millions in profit but remains one of the most unreliable utility companies in America. Add your voice to the demand that Pepco invest their profits in burying the power lines and making our power system more reliable and safe.
In the first 3 months of this year the utility company Pepco made $68 million in profit. In 2009 the CEO of Pepco, Joe Rigby, made $2.9 million in personal income.
My neighbor is 70 years old, her name is Kay, and she has now been without power for 4 days in this sweltering heat. (Update: Kay told me this morning that her dog is acting really sluggish and she is worried the dog might die).
For almost $3 million a year, Joe Rigby needs to be held to account. We demand, on behalf of all the seniors, poverty-stricken and children, that Pepco immediately begin investing their profits in improving our power and implement a long term solution to these unacceptable delays.
For instance, Pepco could commit to a 5 year plan to bury the power lines in their service areas which would greatly improve reliability during massive wind storms and blizzards.
Invest your profits in your customers!
And in the tradition of the Cabin Fever video from Snowmaggadeon 2010, other readers send in a video voicing their frustration (NSFW) in song about Pepco:
But on the other hand we’ve seen Pepco employees working through the 4th of July and scorching heat.
Do you think Pepco is to blame for taking so long to restore to power to 100% of its users? Or is this just the unfortunate reality of a huge storm and living in an area with lots of trees and above ground wires?
I can’t deal with this. Even the blue raspberry was out of order!!!
Carolina and her parents
Dear PoPville,
A friend of ours was riding home on her motorcycle up 15th on Meridian Hill not knowing the storm was coming this past Friday. A tree fell on her and she is paralyzed from the chest down. We are rallying for as much help as we can get to assist her family with medical bills and relocation to Washington, DC.
A note from her friends:
Carolina was in a terrible accident this past Friday night. She was coming home from Virginia after just getting a massage. It was around 11pm and she was traveling up 15th street on her motorcycle. The storm came in out of nowhere and the winds and debris were terrible. As she was traveling slowly up the hill on 15 near Meridian Hill Park a large pine tree came crashing down on top of her. She was crushed by the tree and knocked off her bike. Thanks to some very amazing people who live across the street they were able to lift the tree off of her and chase down a passing ambulance to get her immediate help. She was rushed to GW hospital. She was in joking spirit when we saw her this morning. She went into surgery this afternoon around 1pm and came out around 7pm. We found out today after surgery that she has a severed spinal chord at T7 and is permanently paralyzed from her chest down. They put 2 rods and numerous screws in her spine for support. She has 5 broken ribs, a fractured shoulder blade, some trauma to her lungs causing bleeding so she will have some assistance breathing overnight and some slight bleeding on her brain and some other minor injuries. She will need some time to recover and should be in the ICU for another few days. She will then be moved to a regular room within the hospital. She will then need rehabilitation to build her upper body strength in order for her to make the adjustments. She has a long road ahead of her and will need a lot of love and support. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
More info here.
Make donations here.
Meridian Hill Park
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From MPD:
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch is investigating the death of an adult male that occurred in the 3000 block of Woodland Drive, NW.
On Friday, June 29, 2012, at approximately 11:10 pm, members of the Second District responded to the 3000 block of Woodland Drive, NW for a report of a tree down and an unconscious male. Upon arrival, they located an adult male lying on the ground. They also located an adult female who suffered from burns to her body from an apparent power line that was down. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived on the scene and transported both victims to a local hospital. The adult male subsequently succumbed to his injuries. The cause of death is pending an autopsy. The adult female was admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
The decedent is identified as 67-year-old Mohammad Ghafoorian, of Northwest, Washington D.C.
Photo by PoPville twitter follower @SanchezNestor
From the Office of the Mayor:
The following is a list of the District’s response efforts at this time:
Power Outages: There are currently approximately 63,000 customers without power in D.C. These outages are approximately evenly divided between all the wards.
•Pepco has made Hadley hospital 4601 MLK Ave SE a priority. The facility is on generator power. Only emergency lights are on. The Facility is not fully functioning.
• Also on generator power: Methodist Home 4901 Conn Ave NW and Forest side Home. 2701 Military Rd NW
Trees Blocking Streets: Urban Forestry is not reporting any major roadways blocked.
Traffic Signals: DOT reports 7 intersections are currently flashing and an additional 19 are completely out.
Trees Down By Ward:
Ward 1: 44
Ward 1: 34
Ward 3: 104
Ward 4: 62
Ward 5: 64
Ward 6: 113
Ward 7: 34
Ward 8: 12Significant Incidents w/updates: Penn Branch Service Center and Brentwood Road Test Closed Today
Trees on Houses: There are reports of at least 11 trees which damaged houses or trapped residents in houses. HSEMA Operations will update with addresses in the next sit report. This number has not increased since the time of the last report.
Schools: No reports of trees fallen on schools or significant damage to schools
Traffic: Traffic is generally flowing normally on major arteries.
Public Libraries: All facilities open except: Palisades Library; Takoma Park Library; Deanwood Library (which is part of the Deanwood Rec Center); Northwest One Library (which is part of the Walker Jones Education Campus and also has a Rec Center)
MPD: The Metropolitan Police Department experienced an increase in calls for service during and immediately following last nights storm. Although the demand for police services increased, the calls for service were answered in a timely manner throughout the night. Most of our calls for service were for trees down and wires down throughout the city during the storm.
The Emergency Services Unit (ESU) for MPD was out this morning helping to clear some of the intersections throughout the District. We will continue to work closely with our public safety partners throughout the coming days.
Weather Forecast:
The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Washington DC and the surrounding region from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm. The temperature is expected to be around 100 degrees this afternoon with Heat Index Values around 110 degrees. There is another chance of severe thunderstorms Saturday afternoon and evening and a similar forecast for Sunday.
“I urge all district residents to look out after their neighbors,” noted Chris Gledart, Director of HSEMA. “If you know of anyone in your neighborhood that might need assistance, please look in on them, this especially important if you have elderly or disabled neighbors. If you have concerns about anyone in the District that might be unable to reach out for help, please call 311 for assistance.”
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Photo from 8th St, SE by Josh
Photo from PoPville twitter follower @PuckBuddys
“Roof sheared off home on 1900 block of 13th Street, NW”
Photo from PoPville twitter follower @CSSiddall
“Big damage to 5 houses on 13th at #WallachPlace. Missing roof w/ downpour expected. Roofer here. None hurt.”
@CSSiddall
Hope everyone’s power is back up now or very soon! Did your block lose any trees? Stay safe and cool today.
DDOT wrote:
Crews from the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) Urban Forestry Administration (UFA) are preparing to remove downed trees, branches and debris from District streets and neighborhoods. Crews are inspecting locations tonight to determine where contractors will set up to conduct this activity. Due to the power outrages and downed wires tree cleaning activities will be slow at first until daylight
Residents are reminded to stay away from downed wires. They could be energized and electrical contact could be fatal. Residents are also reminded to stay clear of broken hanging branches as they can fall at anytime.
District residents are reminded to call 311 or go online at 311.dc.gov to report downed trees and branches in public space and to be prepared to provide specific details about the location. The service requests are immediately forwarded to DDOT’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA). Priority is given to street trees that have fallen on homes, cars and power lines, and trees that are blocking roadways; then UFA will shift its focus to storm clean up in alleys and other tree related storm debris.
DDOT is also coordinating with Pepco to address locations where wires are tangled in downed trees. To report a power outage please call Pepco at 877-PEPCO62. Customers may report outages online at pepco.com or download Pepco’s smart phone app, pepco.com/mobileapp, to report and track their outages.
District residents are reminded that trees and branches that fall on or from private property are the responsibility of the property owners.
Photo from Georgetown by PoPville twitter follower @DrewW13
Photo from 13th and Q St, NW by PoPville twitter follower @josh_fruscello
Photo from Kenyon and Mt. Pleasant St, NW by PoPville twitter follower @johnyorkwhit
From DPR:
Today DPR announced, due to the District’s second heat wave of 100° and above temperatures, DPR will extend the operating hours at select pools on Friday, June 29; Saturday, June 30; and Sunday, July 1st. While pools will be open for extended hours, DPR strongly encourages residents to seek relief in cool, indoor locations as there is an added risk from remaining outside in the heat. “It is our hope that District residents will remain inside as our city prepares for the second heat wave of the summer,” said DPR Director Jesús Aguirre. “However, we feel that it is important to extend pool hours and offer residents the option to ‘stay cool’ at our pools.”
To help residents beat the heat, on Friday, June 29th – select outdoor pools will be open until 8:30 pm or 9:30 pm; and on Saturday, June 30th and Sunday, July 1st – select outdoor pools will be open from 12 pm to 8 pm. Indoor pools will operate on their normal schedule.
Full list after the jump. (more…)
Banneker Recreation Center Pool
From DPR:
Today DPR announced, due to the expected high temperatures for the remainder of the week, DPR has extended the operating hours at select District pools for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. According to the National Weather Service, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will bring extremely high temperatures and high humidity. Residents are encouraged to stay inside if possible.
To help residents beat the heat, the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will extend evening hours at select pools. All outdoor pools will continue to observe their regularly scheduled closure day as indicated below, but some will provide extended hours of operations in the evening.
The following pools will extend hours of operation until 8:30 pm:
Ward 1
Banneker Recreation Center Pool
2500 Georgia Avenue NW
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on ThursdaysWard 2
Jelleff Recreation Center Pool
3265 S Street NW
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on WednesdaysWard 5
Harry Thomas Sr. Pool
1743 Lincoln Road, SE
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on TuesdaysWard 6
Rosedale Pool
1701 Gales Street, NE
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on WednesdaysWard 7
Benning Park Pool
5100 Southern Avenue SE
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on ThursdaysWard 8
Anacostia Pool
1800 Anacostia Drive SE
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on MondaysFort Stanton Pool
1800 Erie Street, SE
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on ThursdaysOxon Run Pool
501 Mississippi Avenue, SE
1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
** Closed on Mondays
And from WMATA:
“Due the extreme heat, Metro will allow customers to carry and consume water on the system on Wednesday, June 20, and Thursday, June 21, 2012. The exception to Metro’s “no drinking” policy applies to water only — on buses, in stations and aboard trains — and will remain in effect through system closing on Thursday night.”