Garrett reviews actions as storm cleanup continues

Garrett County is reviewing its response to Sandy, which dumped heavy, wet snow, causing catastrophic damage to the power system.

 

   At a briefing Thursday in Oakland, county commissioners and staff talked about challenges the storm created. They included the evacuation of a nursing home because a generator malfunctioned and filled the home with smoke. Another problem was drivers unprepared for blizzard conditions on Interstate 68, leading to people getting stuck. The State Highway Administration removed just under 3,000 trees from roads, and Potomac Edison replaced 300 damaged power poles.

 

   The county received thousands of calls for help from residents. One person died while shoveling snow, there were several house fires related to power problems and several people suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of generator emissions.