ReadyHoCo

** SKYWARN Class Rescheduled **

Join us on Tuesday, February 17th from 6:00-8:00PM at the James N. Robey Public Safety Training Center for an in-person SKYWARN class, hosted by The National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office. SKYWARN is a nationwide volunteer program that trains individuals to observe and report severe weather, providing the National Weather Service (NWS) with critical, real-time information that helps protect local communities.

Date & Time: Tuesday, February 17, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Location: James N. Robey Public Safety Training Center, Classroom C/D, 2200 Scott Wheeler Dr., Marriottsville, MD 21104

This meeting is free and open to the public. Please use the following link to register for the class: Register for Class

Outreach Event Request

If you would like to request that OEM attend your outreach event, please fill out this outreach request form. Please submit this form at least three weeks in advance. We will do our best to attend, but our calendar does fill quickly!

Business Disaster Preparedness Workshop Series

Join us virtually for our next Business Disaster Preparedness Workshop on January 22nd from 1:00-2:00PM, in partnership with the Howard County Economic Development Authority! The workshop will have representatives from Howard County Government and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to discuss cyber threats, fraud, scams, and how to recover if attacked. Please use the following link to register for the January Business Disaster Preparedness Workshop: Register for Workshop

Upcoming 50+ Center Emergency Preparedness Presentations

• Ellicott City 50+ Center: 9401 Frederick Rd in Ellicott City
  • March 24th from 1:00PM to 2:00PM: Flood Safety and Preparedness--are you ready? If not, join us in learning about how to be prepared!
  • **To attend the above, reach out to the Ellicott City 50+ Center to sign up at ellicottcity50@howardcountymd.gov. If you are not yet a member of the Ellicott City 50+ Center and want to attend, don't worry! Registration for the center and sign-up for the presentation is a quick process.
• East Columbia 50+ Center: 6610 Cradlerock Way in Columbia
  • April 13th from 11:00AM to 12:00PM: Flood Safety and Preparedness--are you ready? If not, join us in learning about how to be prepared!
  • **To attend the above, reach out to the East Columbia 50+ Center to sign up at eastcolumbia50@howardcountymd.gov. If you are not yet a member of the East Columbia 50+ Center and want to attend, don't worry! Registration for the center and sign-up for the presentation is a quick process.
• Bain 50+ Center: 5470 Ruth Keeton Way in Columbia
  • April 14th from 11:00AM to 12:00PM: Flood Safety and Preparedness--are you ready? If not, join us in learning about how to be prepared!
  • **To attend the above, reach out to the Bain 50+ Center to sign up at bain50@howardcountymd.gov. If you are not yet a member of the Bain 50+ Center and want to attend, don't worry! Registration for the center and sign-up for the presentation is a quick process.

Emergency and Non-Emergency Notifications

Weather alerts are available through a variety of mobile applications which can be found at www.weather.gov/enterprise/.  The County's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) also recommends that every home have a NOAA all hazards radio for personal alerting purposes.  Working with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) created an "All Hazards" radio network, making it your single source for comprehensive weather and emergency information. In conjunction with Federal, State, and Local Emergency Managers and other public officials, it also broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards – including natural (such as earthquakes or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills), and public safety (such as AMBER alerts or 911 Telephone outages). 

You can also follow Howard County Government on a variety of social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, through email service, and on-line at www.howardcountymd.gov.  

Emergency messaging will be done through geographic targeting landlines and cell phones using a system known as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS.)  This is for emergency messaging only, and requires no action to be taken on your part.  IPAWS was created through a Presidential Executive Order, which required our nation to have “an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people in situations of war, terrorist attack, natural disaster or other hazards to public safety and well-being.”  

IPAWS only works on cell phones that have wireless emergency alerts (WEA) enabled, to confirm your WEA are enabled please check your service provider’s website (due to the many mobile operating systems in use there are too many options to post here).  You can also follow the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) on Facebook, and Twitter.

Understanding HoCo Hazards

Preparedness begins with understanding your local hazards. A hazard is any potential source of harm or difficulty and may be natural or human-caused. High-risk hazards have a high likelihood of local occurrence and may result in serious consequences to life safety, property, critical infrastructure, the environment, and the economy.

Risk = Likelihood + Consequence

For detailed information on hazard risk in Howard County please see the following resource or visit our Hazard Information Page:

• Community Hazard Handbook – An overview of local hazards and hazard risk designed for families and businesses in Howard County. This handbook was updated in 2023.

Transportation Websites

Maryland Department of Transportation CHART - The CHART program is Maryland's entry into the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) arena. Provides real-time traffic maps, and traffic cameras.

Weather Websites

• The National Weather Service's Sterling Office website has forecasts and information on weather safety for the Howard County area.
• The National Hurricane Center offers maps and discussions of hurricane/tropical storm activity.  
• The Storm Prediction Center offers maps and discussions of  severe thunderstorms and tornado forecasts.  

Health Preparedness Websites

• Howard County Health Department Preparedness Info
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website has preparedness information and resources to stay healthy. 
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website has information about preventing the flu, and caring for those that have it. 
• Maryland's Department of Health's Office of Preparedness and Response.

CAREAPP

CAREAPP is a Howard County Health Department program that connects County residents to community programs and services, including resources for food, health, housing, transportation, education, employment assistance, and more.