Storm Aftermath: 24-Hour Cooling Center Opens, 911 System Spotty

Arlington opened a 24-hour cooling center Monday, though the county's Emergency Communications Center continued to have problems receiving 911 calls from cell phones.

Thousands of people remained without electricity for a third day following Friday night's derecho, an aggressive, high-wind storm that caught much of the region off guard and has caused the largest non-hurricane power outage in state history.

A pedestrian died after being struck by a car Sunday night at an intersection on Columbia Pike where the traffic signal had lost power, said Arlington County Emergency Director Jack Brown. Officials continue to urge motorists to treat each such intersection like a four-way stop. Fewer than 40 intersections remain without power countywide.

In Arlington, about 24,000 households remained without power Monday afternoon. Nineteen roads remained totally blocked; 74 had been cleared.

"Dominion is making slow but steady progress," Brown said in an interview.

One of the county's "main concerns" is Culpepper Gardens, an assisted-living facility in the Buckingham Community that's home to 276 seniors. Dominion Power is on-site, though no estimate has been given as to when that facility will have its electricity restored, Brown said.

The county is operating more than a dozen daytime cooling centers and is also steering people to the malls in Ballston and Pentagon City. The Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St. S., has been opened as a 24-hour drop-in cooling center.

The cooling centers are:

• Aurora Hills Community and Senior Center (until 3 p.m.)
• Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center (until 10:30 p.m.)
• Carver Community Center (until 9 p.m.)
• Charles Drew Community Center (until 9 p.m.)
• Fairlington Community Center (until 9 p.m.)
• Gunston Community Center (until 9 p.m.)
• Langston-Brown Community Center (until 10 p.m.)
• Lee Community Center (until 6 p.m.)
• Madison Community Center  (until 9 p.m.)
• Thomas Jefferson Community Center (until 10 p.m.)
• Walter Reed Community Center (24-hours)
• Central Library (until 9 p.m.)
• Aurora Hills Library (until 9 p.m.)
• Glencarlyn Library (until 9 p.m.)
• Shirlington Library (until 9 p.m.)
• Westover Library (until 9 p.m.)

Swimming pools at Yorktown and Wakefield high schools opened Monday. The pool at Washington-Lee was closed due to a power outage.

The Arlington County Emergency Communications Center is experiencing problems receiving 911 calls from wireless phones. For those in need, the non-emergency number is 703-741-3035. Residents also can go to any Arlington County Fire Station in case of an emergency.