PRESS RELEASE KENYAN R. MCDUFFIE COUNCILMEMBER WARD 5 Contact: Corey Arnez Griffin, Chief of Staff (202) 724-8028 cgriffin@dccouncil.

us For Immediate Release: October 26, 2012 McDuffie Working with the Mayor to Coordinate Response to Hurricane Sandy WASHINGTON, DC Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie is actively working with the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM) to coordinate preparation and emergency response in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy making landfall in the Washington region this weekend. Were taking this storm very seriously in my office, stated McDuffie, who has led storm response efforts in Ward 5 on four separate occasions since taking office five months ago. I've called on the Mayors office, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, and DC Water to make the necessary preparations for this weekends storm and to communicate their preparedness plan to residents as soon as possible. McDuffie spoke with the EOM about the need for sandbag distribution and traffic control in anticipation of another round of severe flooding in the eastern portion of Ward 5. McDuffie has also urged that the agencies make a concerted effort to remove the leaves from the curbs, gutters, streets and sidewalks to avoid the possibility of clogging the already inadequate sewer line infrastructure across the Ward and in flood prone areas. I have been in contact with DC Water officials about cleaning catch-basins and making other preparations for several inches of storm water in Ward 5. I have also been in touch with Pepco officials to ensure that power line maintenance is occurring now to reduce instances of power outages next week. Ive been given a commitment from Pepco that mutual assistance crews will be on hand to support restoration efforts, should Ward 5 homes and businesses lose power. Earlier this fall McDuffie introduced a bill providing flood assistance funds to victims of this summers devastating flood events. Ive been working closely with Councilmember Cheh, the Chairperson of the Committee on the Environment, Public Works and Transportation, on a way to fund this bill in the absence of DC Water using its own surplus funds to make residents whole.

In preparation for another significant flooding event, McDuffie has requested updates from HSEMA. My staff and I will be on the streets of Ward 5 overseeing storm management efforts, ensuring that residents are safe and that the situation is properly managed by District agencies, promised McDuffie. Everyone who can do so should download the 311, HSEMA, and Pepco applications for their smartphones and make the necessary preparations for power failure, significant winds, and flooding. The following are a list of storm emergency phone numbers: Emergency: Pepco (outage or downed wires): DC Water: Washington Gas: District Government Agencies: 911 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662) 202-612-3400 703-750-1400 311

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