ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Aberdeen Proving Ground sustained minimal damage after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook the installation Aug. 23. The epicenter was located 88 miles southwest of Washington D.C. in the town of Mineral, Va., and was felt by tens of millions of people along the East Coast, from Georgia to Canada.
By 6 p.m. that evening, an announcement from the installation's Emergency Operations Center noted that "some APG buildings suffered slight cosmetic damage with no significant affects throughout the post. Public Works and fire department personnel have inspected all affected facilities and cleared them as safe."
Four days later, on Aug. 27 and into the early morning hours of Aug. 28, APG and the surrounding area was again slammed--this time with high winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Irene, a Category 1 storm and the first tropical event to affect the area since Tropical Storm Isabel in 2003.
Irene wreaked havoc from North Carolina to New England leaving millions without power, sparking evacuations and floods and shutting down every highway and mass transit system in her path.
As of 7 p.m. on Aug. 28, 80 sections of county-maintained roads in Harford County were closed and utility companies were reporting more than 50,000 customers in the county without power. As of Wednesday morning, some homes and business throughout Harford County were without power and eleven schools remained closed.
"Lady Luck" and Team APG employees were on the installation's side as DPW, Picerne and other personnel worked diligently to restore power to the installation and clear downed trees.
"We were very fortunate. APG did not experience any significant damage as a result of the high winds, heavy rainfall and increased water levels caused by Hurricane Irene," said Garrison APG Public Affairs Specialist Mike Tuttle. "DPW, fire, police and other emergency management personnel monitored and responded to the storm's effects throughout Saturday night and Sunday, and by Monday morning, the post opened for normal operations."
"All in all, APG fared well," said Tuttle. "We were able to get electricity restored to our homes and offices pretty quickly, and we made great use of our notification systems."
In case of weather emergencies, community members can call the APG Weather Line at 410-278-SNOW (7669) or visit APG's Facebook page for updates.
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