Tropical Storm Irene was not as strong as some thought it would be in our area, but it still caused power outages and problems with downed trees across Anne Arundel County. And the effects of the derecho—and the power outages that followed—are still fresh in the minds of some local residents.

Both storms serve as a reminder to be prepared and have emergency and other useful information at the ready.

Patch has created a short, printer-friendly guide for Anne Arundel County residents with phone numbers and websites to help get started and handle electric outages, water emergencies, communications (phone, cable and web) outages and more.

Click on the PDF (right) to access it. Print it out, review it and add it to your emergency kit before you lose power.