Food and Water For Howard County Residents in Need

Military Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and water are being passed out to families in Howard County who are still without power at the county’s Dorsey Building, 9250 Bendix Road in Columbia. 

Howard County worked with the Federal and Maryland Emergency Management Agencies to transport water and 750 meals to the site.  Each resident still without power is eligible for two MRE meals and 3 liters of water. 

As of Tuesday morning, officials said 15,000 residents are believed to be without power. The emergency distribution center will stay open until 6 p.m. or until supplies run out.

Traffic at the center was slow Monday morning, and some residents expressed concern that, despite press releases, a lack of electricity means those in need were unaware of the service. 

“You don’t have media if you don’t have power,” said Lisa Feinberg of Ellicott City. She is president of the Glenelg Manor Estates Home Owners Association, where the power has been out since Saturday night, when the brunt of Hurricane Irene hit the area.

Feinberg said she plans to text people she knows are in need and go door-to-door to let them know about the distribution site.

Others were happy to be able to pick up some dinner before heading to work. 

The distribution site is run by the Department of Corrections and Director John Kavanagh, who is, himself, without electricity at his home.

Nonetheless, he and a team of other administrative staff members as well as low-security inmates have set up tents and are prepared to load up the vehicles of families who need supplies.

Using two tents, workers have set up a kind of drive-through system in the parking lot; residents don't even have to get out of their vehicles.

At the first tent, residents let a member of the staff know how many family members they are collecting for. That number is then radioed up to the second tent, which is the main distribution area. There, bags of MREs and water are assembled for vehicles as they drive up. 

People stop at the second tent and staff members from the Department of Corrections place the bags of supplies in the trunk or backseat of the car.

“You never know what numbers to expect, so you try to streamline it,” said Robert Baldwin, chief of security.

Each department in the county has emergency support functions, according to Kavanagh. 

“We had plans, so we just pulled them out and updated them. It was good that we did already have some planning and preparation done for this,” he said.

The staff members said they'd like to see the word spread about the food being offered so that everyone in need can collect means and water.  

The is also offering services for residents who are without power and looking for a place to shower and relax.