The time to prepare is now

After a week of abysmal weather that seared county residents and left tens of thousands of people without electricity, county officials held a panel discussion yesterday aimed at making sure residents were more prepared for whatever mother nature throws at them next.

The third annual Anne Arundel County Community Disaster Preparedness Meeting brought together emergency response and weather experts for a two-hour presentation at Anne Arundel Community College's Arnold campus before a small audience of less than 50 people.

"The biggest problem is that people don't want to think about it," said Karen Sank, Anne...