A couple of storm tidbits from the DC region --

We've had problems with 911 service in the close-in suburbs in Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax County, Alexandria). This was the most disturbing of all the news I've been reading since the derecho hit. When you see an alert from your local government advising you to call the non-emergency number or go to the nearest fire station in an emergency, it's pretty scary.

On a lighter note, I spoke to a friend yesterday who lives in DC, and he said they did not lose power at his house. In fact they never lose electricity at his house, because they're on the same grid as the White House. I lived around the corner from him for a couple of years back when I first moved to this area, and I don't think I ever lost electricity while I was there, but it never occurred to me why that might be the case.