City of Bowie Evaluates Derecho Response

Bowie staff have released a report evaluating their response to and making suggestions for emergency response improvements.

On June 29, a system of fast-moving storms swept through Bowie, , .

Here are some of the highlights of the report:

• As soon as it was determined to be safe, a city crew began clearing trees and debris from roadways.

• The assistant city manager began pulling together an emergency management team at 6:15 a.m. the following morning, and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was established in the town hall and manned 24/7.

• Email and phone service were sporadic in the first days following the storm, but the city communications staff worked to keep residents informed via social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook.

• The EOC held regular status meetings on power outages, debris cleanup and other vital information and gave regular updates to the city council in daily briefings.

Staff also made several recommendations for improving the city’s disaster response, including:

• Designating a formal Emergency Management Team, and providing that team with adequate training.
• Devising a more efficient and timely way to determine traffic light outages.
• Appointing a central person in charge of debris cleanup.

You can read the city’s full derecho report here.