BETHESDA STORM UPDATE: NEW POWER OUTAGES, DEBRIS PICKUP STARTS TODAY

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS HIT BETHESDA

Last night's storms were light on wind, thunder and lightning, but still left some Bethesda residents without power.  I received two reports of power outages in neighborhoods off of River Road.  However, Pepco had restored that outage by shortly after midnight.

Are you without power in Bethesda currently?  Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter at @BethesdaRow!

COUNTY STORM DEBRIS COLLECTION STARTS TODAY

Get your limbs, branches and other assorted wood debris out to the curb of county-maintained roads - county crews will be traveling throughout the county starting today to pick it all up.

They have a map where you can supposedly track their movement in real time (now if we could just have a real-time, online, itemized county budget!) on the county website.

Not ready yet?  Don't worry!  You can still put debris out in smaller bundles on future trash days.

BETHESDA STORM UPDATE: BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES

Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit Bethesda between 1 and 11 PM today.  With a cold front hitting 105 degree temperatures, fasten your seatbelts for a wild and wooly day.

Don't forget that collection of curbside storm tree/limb/miscellaneous wood scraps begins July 11.

Let's hope the county picks up the 3 fallen trees currently blocking the sidewalk on Westbard Avenue between Westbard Circle and Massachusetts Avenue.  If you are trying to walk to church or Little Falls Library, use the Westbard Mews side of the street sidewalk.

BETHESDA STORM UPDATE: HOW TO GET RID OF STORM DEBRIS, POWER OUTAGES CONTINUE

WEATHER NEWS

I'm not going to insult your intelligence like the TV news - "It's hot! It's 100 degrees!" Duh!

But it will feel like 115 degrees Saturday, so be prepared.  New thunderstorms are forecast to hit Bethesda on Sunday and/or Monday.

Montgomery County still has a cooling center open at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville for those without power.

POWER OUTAGES

Up to 14,000 county residents remain without power a full week after the storm hit.  To top it off, some have even lost power once it was restored.

Chef Tony's and Jiffy Shoppes both suffered partial or complete power outages on St. Elmo Avenue Thursday.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY TREE DEBRIS

What do you do with all of those branches, limbs and chunks of wood littering your yard?

A) Build a log cabin

B) Start a firewood company

C) Gather them up, and place them "in the county right of way" if you live on a county-maintained road, before July 11.

The answer is C.

Starting July 11, county crews will begin picking up the curbside debris.

The county says not to place debris in any spot that blocks a road, driveway or sidewalk; generally speaking, it should be right at the edge of your lawn by the gutter/edge of the street.

Debris not ready for pickup July 11 can still be bundled by you, or your yard service, for regular yard debris pickups on trash days.