The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) is a state agency dedicated to "proactively reduce disaster risks and reliably manage consequences through collaborative work with Maryland's communities and partners." Please note that MDEM is available to receive phone calls from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
410-517-3600 or 877-636-2872
For 24-hour assistance by County, click on this link to access Local Emergency Center Contacts.
In the event of a public health emergency here are some high-level resources from the Maryland Emergency Communications Resources.
Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) is a nonprofit organization of volunteers based in Texas that responds to natural disasters and ransomware attacks nationwide and free of charge. ITDRC mainly assists with reconnecting internet access to local agencies and community anchor partners (such as libraries) after natural disasters and works in partnership with many well-known tech companies.
To request technical assistance for your community, call our 24-hour activation line, or simply e-mail support@itdrc.org to get help.
24 HOUR ACTIVATION LINE, 1-866-217-5777
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a flood map search tool that can be searched by property address. This link takes you to the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has resources for preparing for and recovering from natural disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, and floods.
The American Library Association has a Disaster Relief Fund to aid libraries responding the natural disasters, click on this link to find more information about recent work.
ALA also has a comprehensive LibGuide for Disaster Preparedness. Click on this link to find out more about Disaster Preparedness for libraries.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has a page of Natural Disaster Recovery Resources for Museums and Libraries including a list of grants available to libraries affected by hurricanes. Click on this link to connect to the Natural Disaster Recovery Resources page from IMLS.
Does Your Library Need to Create a Disaster Preparedness Plan?
The Illinois University Library has a great page of resources and templates for academic and public libraries that is available by clicking on this sentence.
