Baltimore Displays True Grit

I believe that Baltimore residents possess true grit that enables our best selves to shine through during challenging times. And the natural disasters of the past week certainly proved me right.

On Tuesday, August 23, Baltimoreans were shocked by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, Va., several hours away from Charm City. While no one was hurt, many residents – the majority of whom had never experienced an earthquake – were not able to use their cell phones to call and check on loved ones because the lines were busy from high call volume. But I personally witnessed a number of residents who were able to place outgoing calls kindly share their cell phones with complete strangers. It was small gestures like these during difficult times that make a difference.

Less than a week later, Baltimoreans were tested again when Hurricane Irene began to show signs that it had the potential to be a catastrophic storm. I took the opportunity to travel to neighborhoods and to senior centers to make sure that residents were adequately preparing for the hurricane. Fortunately, Hurricane Irene did not materialize into a historic natural disaster. It did, however, leave tens of thousands of Baltimoreans – many of them seniors and the disabled – without power.

I would like to commend first responders and utility crews – some of which have come from as far away as Kentucky to assist with Baltimore’s recovery efforts. These men and women have placed themselves in harm’s way in order to return Baltimore to normal. We all owe them a debt of gratitude and a heartfelt thank you. And I would also like to thank our residents for heeding the city’s calls to adequately prepare for Hurricane Irene and for checking in on your neighbors.

I have contacted utility officials and they have assured me that they are working round-the-clock to restore power. But as of Tuesday night, nearly 33,000 Baltimore households were still without power, according to BGE.

While we have weathered the storm, I continue to ask residents to continue to check on neighbors and share resources.