Welcome

HOWARD COUNTY
Howard County rests snuggly between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. in the center of the state right next to one of the largest military bases in the country, Fort George G. Meade. The area is known for its affluence, quality of life and excellent schools. It is the third wealthiest region by median household income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Money magazine even ranked the county’s main population center of Columbia/Ellicott City second among “America’s Best Places to Live 2010.”

Indeed, more than 282,000 residents enjoy the melding of old and new, urban and rural, where the rolling green hills of the Piedmont Plateau graduate to the lowlands of the Atlantic coast. Where one of the most modern cities in the world sits side by side with a town older than the republic, Ellicott City. Its twin, Columbia, developed in 1967 as the country’s first major planned community, now boasts a population of more than 100,000.

Being the heart of the state has its drawbacks. Howard County is also the only landlocked county in the state, estranged from such water follies as Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Potomac River.

History
The hunter-gatherers of the Algonquin Tribe most likely greeted Captain John Smith of Jamestown when he sailed up the Patapsco River in 1607. But the first settler arrived 80 years later when Lord Baltimore granted a home on the same river to Adam Shippley. The industrious Puritan quickly established the area’s tradition of farming.

In the early 1700s, Charles Carroll built an elaborate plantation-style home, Doughoregan Manor, on nearly 13,000 acres of farmland and forests several miles west of the future Ellicott City.

Charles Carroll III later denounced the Stamp Act and defended the colonists’ complaints against the Crown. He also attended the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia as a delegate and signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Back home, farming became a way of life, with tobacco dominating the economy. But commerce and industry quickly followed based on river transportation and the port at Elk Ridge Landing, where merchants shipped iron ore and hogs heads of tobacco on the Patapsco River to the Chesapeake Bay and then to England. In trade, cargoes from England and points East included furniture, spices and other finished goods. As a result the Landing prospered into the largest seaport north of Annapolis.

Four years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, three Quaker brothers started a revolution of their own. John, Andrew and Joseph Ellicott of Bucks County, Pa., first built a flour mill upstream from Elk Ridge Landing. Then they convinced local farmers, including the influential Charles Carroll III, to plant wheat instead of tobacco by introducing fertilizer to revitalize the depleted soil.

In 1822, Savage Mill opened on the Little Patuxent River and operated as a textile mill until 1947. Progress really escalated when the Baltimore & Ohio’s first 13 miles of track connected Baltimore with the thriving community of Ellicott’s Mills in 1830, which landed the country’s first railroad terminal a year later. In keeping with the area’s forward-thinking, the Ellicott brothers in 1837 donated land for the Patapsco Female Institute, one of the first schools in the country to educate women academically.

Fourteen years later the area became what is now Howard County—named in honor of John Eager Howard, statesman, Soldier and the fifth governor of Maryland—the 21st of the state’s 23 counties, with the county seat at Ellicott Mills.

When the Civil War broke out, the county split much like the rest of the nation. Cooksville, in western Howard County, played a part in the outcome of the Gettysburg campaign.

The founders of Howard County were, indeed, visionaries. In the 1960s, one by the name of James Rouse purchased 14,000 acres and began creating Columbia, one of the country’s premier planned communities.

Climate
Summers are hot and humid. Winters are cool and rainy, with lower temperatures away from the water. Snowfall ranges from 10 inches in the east to 30 inches in the west, and annual rainfall averages 45 inches countywide.

Sun Exposure
Some exposure to sunlight is good, even healthy, but too much can be dangerous. Broad-spectrum ultraviolet (UV) radiation, listed as a known carcinogen by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, can cause blistering sunburns and such long-term problems as skin cancer, cataracts and immune suppression. Overexposure also causes wrinkling and aging of the skin.

Cloud cover reduces UV levels, but not completely. Depending on the thickness of the cloud cover, you can still burn on a cold and dim day. So be prepared with sunglasses, sunscreens, long-sleeved garments, wide-brimmed hats and an umbrella.

Thunderstorms
In July 2010, a severe thunderstorm knocked out power to nearly 1,000 homes. That same week, lightning struck a house during a brief thunderstorm, and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning: Doppler radar indicated slow-moving thunderstorms with an estimated 3 inches of rain which could cause flash flooding in rural areas.

Welcome to a typical summer in Howard County. Dangerous storms with extreme winds over large areas, including “microburst” punches of wind up to 120 mph during the most intense part of the storm, are possible and may roil into sudden tornadoes.

As a matter of fact, more than 90 twisters have ripped through the state in the last 10 years, up-rooting trees, stripping shingles from rooftops and sometimes causing widespread devastation. And don’t forget the hail, sometimes big as softballs.

Most of all, remember the adage: “When the thunder roars, head in doors.” Once inside avoid electrical appliances, plumbing fixtures and only use a corded telephone in an emergency. The National Weather Service recommends following the 30/30 Rule which states people should seek shelter if the “Flash-To-Bang” delay, length of time in seconds from the sight of the lightning flash to the arrival of its subsequent thunder, is 30 seconds or less, and remain under cover for 30 minutes after the final thunder clap. For more safety information visit the National Weather Service at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

Hurricane Season

As if lightning and tornadoes weren’t enough to worry about, a fair share of hurricanes have thundered through Howard County. A typical season lasts from June to November. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the storm surge is greatest potential for loss of life during a hurricane. Basically, tremendous winds push water which, when coupled with the normal tide, causes a dangerous swell in water height–up to 13 to 17 feet above the ground in a major hurricane.

Hurricane Isabel in 2003 whipped up the most recent storm surge, which downed trees, closed 80 to 90 roads and left hundreds of homes without power for a week. Damage throughout the state totaled about $945 million, with only one fatality due to flooding. The president eventually declared a state of disaster. The Howard County Emergency Fire and Rescue Department suggests you prepare a survival kit for your family, including pets, and secure important documents in waterproof containers. It is important to know your evacuation zone and where to go in case an evacuation is ordered. Visit http://www.co.ho.md.us/far/far_homepage.htm for the most recent shelter and evacuation zone map.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
Anne Arundel County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of Maryland. In 2010, 537,656 residents called the county home. It is located on the western side of Chesapeake Bay, with numerous rivers and tidal creeks indenting the shoreline.

History
The County was named for Anne Arundell, the daughter of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour, members of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England.

Anne Arundel County was originally part of St. Mary’s County in the Province of Maryland. In 1650, the year after Anne Arundell’s death, the county separated and became the third of 23 Maryland counties. Between 1654 and 1658, the county was known as “Providence County” by many of its early Puritan settlers.

On March 25, 1655, during the English Civil War, the Battle of the Severn was fought in Anne Arundel County between Puritan forces supporting the Commonwealth of England and forces loyal to Cæcilius Calvert. The Commonwealth forces under William Fuller were victorious.

Between 1694 and 1695, the capital of Maryland was moved from St. Mary’s City in St. Mary’s County to Annapolis in Anne Arundel County. Prior to the move, Annapolis was known as Providence.

During the American Revolutionary War, citizens of Anne Arundel County supported the Continental Army by providing troops for three regiments. The 3rd Maryland Regiment, the 4th Maryland Regiment, and the 6th Maryland Regiment recruited in the county.

During the War of 1812, the USS Constitution sailed from Annapolis prior to its victorious engagement with the HMS Guerriere.

On May 22, 1830, the inaugural horse-drawn train of the B & O Railroad travelled the 13 miles (21 km) of the newly-completed track from Mount Clare Station in Baltimore City to Ellicott Mills in Anne Arundel County. This was the first regular railroad passenger service in the United States. Ellicott Mills is now known as Ellicott City and is located in what is now Howard County.

Anne Arundel County originally included most of what was to become Howard County. In 1851, Howard County was broken off and made into the 21st county in Maryland.

Climate
Anne Arundel County’s climate differs on an east-to-west axis. The eastern half of the county has a Humid subtropical climate, with hot humid summers and cool, moist winters. The western half of the county lies in the transition zone between the Humid subtropical climate zone and the humid continental climate zone, with slightly colder winter temperatures and higher snowfall totals. Annual rainfall averages hover around 40 inches per year throughout the county.

PREPARING FOR AN APPROACHING STORM
Listen to weather forecasts and plan ahead.
If you lose power, use flashlights. Do not use candles or kerosene lamps—they can create a fatal safety hazard.
Develop a family emergency plan that includes alternative arrangements should the need arise to vacate your premises. Make provisions for special needs of any family member such as the elderly, handicapped, medically affected or infants. If you are dependent on electric-powered medical equipment, you are encouraged to seek alternate arrangements in the event that your electric service is interrupted.
Keep the Following Items on Hand
Fresh Batteries
A Portable Radio
Flashlights
A Manual Can Opener
Matches
A Battery-Operated or Wind-Up Clock
Non-Perishable Food (canned and dried food)
Fuses
Sterno
Make a list of emergency phone numbers and keep a personal telephone book and one corded phone or cell phone on hand.
Keep a first-aid kit in your home and one in your car.

Don’t Forget to Include
Scissors
Safety Pins
Aspirin
Eyewash
Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide
Keep one gallon of bottled water available for each person in the household for each anticipated day without electric service.
If your home is served by well water, fill a bathtub with water for sanitation use.
Keep cash on hand.

Protect Your Food
To protect your food, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Food will stay frozen for 36 hours or more in a fully-loaded freezer if you keep the door closed. A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours. Consider freezing containers of water ahead of time. The blocks of ice will help keep your food frozen longer.

During a Summer Power Outage
Close all drapes and blinds on the sunny side of your home.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Take your family and pets to a cool basement location. Or consider going to an air-conditioned public place during warmer daytime hours.

During a Winter Power Outage
Gather in a central room with an alternate heat source like a fireplace, but be sure to keep a screen around an open flame. And don’t close the fireplace damper while the ashes are still hot.
During the day, open drapes and blinds to let the sun warm the space. Close them at night to minimize heat loss.
If the indoor temperature drops below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, open faucets slightly so they constantly drip, thereby preventing pipes from freezing.

Always Remember These
Important Heating Safety Tips
A fuel-burning heater, such as kerosene, requires proper ventilation to prevent buildup of harmful fumes. Place these heaters on a hard, non-combustible surface.
Never leave children or pets alone with a portable heater when it’s in use.
Never use a gas range for room heating.
Never use charcoal as an indoor heating or cooking source.

Generators
Follow these simple guidelines for safe use of your home generator:
Turn off the main circuit breaker to avoid injuring repair crews as they attempt to restore power.
If you use a generator during an outage, carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
If your generator is to be hooked directly into your home’s electrical system, be sure to use a licensed electrician to do the work.