Local Rescue Takes in Hurricane Sandy Pets

The animals have been living in temporary shelter in New York City.

The Washington Animal Rescue League is doing its part to help pets displaced in October's Hurricane Sandy, according to an NBC Washington report. The WARL will be taking in eight dogs and five cats. The animals previously had been living in a temporary shelter in New York City and arrived in Washington on Monday, according to the report. The animals were all strays, abandoned by their owners or surrendered.

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Weird, Wild Washington Area Weather in 2012

The new year looks like it will kick off chilly and dry.

  Twenty-twelve was a wild year for weather in the Washington metropolitan region. On June 29, the derecho terrorized the area, forcing President Obama to declare Montgomery County a disaster area. In the fall, while we were spared the major brunt, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread flooding, downed trees, food and supply shortages at local stores and numerous school, government and activity cancellations and postponements.   Those two weather events may have been the most memorable, but according to WJLA's website, a number of weather records were set in 2012: How does the forecast for the start of 2013 look? Look for New Year's Eve temperatures in the mid-30s, with only a 20 percent chance of precipitation overnight. New Year's Day should…

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Montgomery County First Responders Return From Sandy Rescue Mission

County police and fire/rescue personnel return from week helping Sandy victims in New York, where the situation was described as "Katrina-esque."

On Tuesday afternoon, while Montgomery County and the rest of the nation were paying attention to Election Day, 80 Montgomery County fire/rescue and police personnel unceremoniously returned home from spending an exhausting week assisting Hurricane Sandy victims in New York. The Maryland Task Force 1, made up of local medical workers, rescue experts, engineers and dog handlers with search canines, was assembled Sunday afternoon, Oct. 28, and dispatched to Fort Dix, NJ, to await orders, according to Montgomery County Assistant Chief Scott Graham. From there it was a long week of search and rescue and humanitarian relief that Graham says was similar to the situation in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. “I’ve been on the task force since …

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Patch & AOL Send Hurricane Sandy Relief Trucks to Long Island, New Jersey

Employees help out, and you can, too

It's been said it's far better to have a neighbor who's near, than a brother who's far away, but in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Americans across the nation have proven to be the best neighbors and the strongest of families. This past weekend, AOL and Patch employees took an opportunity to pitch in, packing two tractor trailers worth of food, water and supplies in Dulles, VA, and Baltimore. The donations are headed to Hurricane Sandy ravaged areas in New Jersey and Long Island. Patch editors from Montgomery and Prince George's counties donated water, canned goods, juice, blankets, flashlights, activity books for children and snacks—like granola bars, crackers and chips. Maryland editors donated more than $2,500 worth of items families …

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PHOTOS: Looking Back At Sandy in Maryland

Patch runs down some of the images of Superstorm Sandy's impact on Maryland

Instead of bringing you our regular "Weird News" feature, Maryland's Patch sites compiled a series of photos from before, during and after Sandy. Check out the slideshow with this post for some of the images of the superstorm. And then click through some of these links for the lead stories throughout the storm: Looking for more? Follow our new Maryland Patch Facebook page.

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Musicians Rock for Hurricane Sandy Relief

Headcount’s Participation Tour, which features Dumpstaphunk and Anders Osborne, aims to increase voter registration and benefits Hurricane Sandy relief. The tour rolls through Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New York City this week.

Marc's Music Beat

Musicians Rock for Hurricane Sandy Relief

Headcount’s Participation Tour, which features Dumpstaphunk and Anders Osborne, aims to increase voter registration and benefits Hurricane Sandy relief. The tour rolls through Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and New York City this week.

  Musicians will rock out and get their funk on for Hurricane Sandy aid and voter registration for the next four nights. HeadCount and Magic Hat Brewing Company have teamed up for this year’s Participation Tour, which is anchored by funk outfit Dumpstaphunk and folk rocker Anders Osborne, both from New Orleans. While the tour’s original aim was to register more voters for the upcoming election, HeadCount announced Thursday that all proceeds from the four-day tour will be donated to the Red Cross and other relief efforts. “In an election year we get very focused on voter registration, but something we like to say is ‘make your voice heard every day, not just on election day,’” HeadCount Executive Director Andy Bernstein said via email. “You…

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Photos: Super Storm Sandy's Destruction Along East Coast

While residents and officials continue to clean up after a superstorm hit the East Coast, we take a look at the most dramatic images from the superstorm.

It's been a long couple of days for residents along the East Coast of the United States. First, they prepared for Hurricane Sandy's arrival, amid claims it was the "perfect storm" — filling sandbags, boarding up buildings and buying supplies over the weekend. On Monday, as Sandy approached the Northeast, the winds picked up and officials began evacuations and last-minute preparations, while businesses closed early to avoid the brunt of the superstorm. As residents on the East Coast hunkered down in their apartments and homes, Sandy's wrath battered beach towns, flooded city streets—including Manhattan and Hoboken—in unprecedented ways, and brought down gigantic trees on homes and roads, killing some and creating havoc for others. Although …

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