Unlike the earthquake that had abruptly rattled the region just days before, Howard County saw Hurricane Irene coming, watching its path up the East Coast and planning for the potential destruction and disruptions it might bring.

There would be much to deal with. The steady rain during the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 27, was joined later that night by high winds that knocked down trees and power lines and left tens of thousands without electricity by Sunday morning.

Though power had been restored in Howard County to more than 34,000 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers by Tuesday, Aug. 30, another 12,000 remained in the dark.

Twenty-seven public schools lost power, and about half of all county schools suffered some water damage. The first day of school — scheduled for Monday, Aug. 29 — was pushed back to Tuesday. But 10 schools — Atholton, Glenelg and Marriotts Ridge high schools; Dunloggin, Folly Quarter and Mount View middle schools; and Northfield, St. John's Lane, Triadelphia Ridge and West Friendship elementary schools — were without power Tuesday morning and remained closed.

By late Tuesday afternoon, Atholton and Glenelg high schools and Triadelphia Ridge Elementary still were without electricity.

And with many county residents without power Tuesday, the county government obtained 750 military ready-to-eat meals from federal and state emergency management agencies and distributed two MREs and three liters of water per family member from the county's Dorsey Building on Bendix Road in Ellicott City.

Even though Hurricane Irene was not nearly as destructive here as it was up and down the East Coast, county officials said their preparations — and those of residents cautious of what was to come — made it easier to ride out the storm.

"We prepared, increased staffing and thought about a lot of contingencies that ultimately did play out during the storm," said Howard County Police Chief William McMahon. "Because we did that, we were able to minimize the impact."

"Most people heeded the warnings, sheltered in place, didn't get on the roads and stayed home," said Howard County Fire and Rescue Chief William Goddard, who is also the county's director of emergency management.

The number of visitors to Howard County General Hospital was normal, he said.

"The citizens listened to a lot of the advance warning that went out," Goddard said.

County agencies had planned internally, communicating with their counterparts and including the private sector — hospitals, schools, transit systems, BGE, Columbia Association and the Community Emergency Response Network. As the storm hit, officials worked side by side at the county's emergency operations center.

"We had a police commander sitting next to a public works supervisor right next to a fire supervisor," McMahon said. "If we had trees down, we were directly talking to people. It made for a much more effective operation."

Ahead of the storm, the Fire and Rescue Department increased the number of personnel in the field from 76 to 130, bolstered tremendously by the help of volunteers, Goddard said. The department also significantly increased its staffing in its special operations division, which handles emergencies such as building collapses and swift-water rescues.

The Police Department, which has a normal weekend patrol staff of 45 to 50 officers, had up to 40 additional officers on the streets, about 15 of which supported patrol while another 20 focused on directing traffic, McMahon said.

The county government set up a non-emergency number for inquiries and questions, allowing 911 dispatchers to concentrate on emergency calls. The Police Department also filled four-wheel-drive vehicles with barricades and cones, supplies officers might need while working outside, McMahon said.

McMahon expected traffic signals would go out, particularly on highways with numerous intersections such as Route 40. At the height of the storm, there were about 30 intersections or roads where officers were directing traffic due to lights being out or trees and wires being down, he said.

"We were certainly strained, but we were fortunate," McMahon said. "It could've been much worse."

The Fire and Rescue Department sent staff to hundreds of homes and handed out fliers ahead of the storm to make residents aware of the potential for flooding and what to do if it happened. Also, Goddard said his department made sure to consider potential scenarios involving senior housing, assisted living facilities and the county hospital.

Medics were sent to Waverly Gardens, a senior housing apartment in Woodstock, to be on site until electricity was restored.

In the weeks ahead, county departments will review how they handled Hurricane Irene — what was done well and what can be learned, and what, for example, police would need to do in case of more significant flooding.

"We were very fortunate," Goddard said. "I've always said that when you prepare, it doesn't happen, and when you don't, it will."