PHOTOS: Elkridge Recharging After Storm

There are some new additions to the Elkridge library and senior center in the wake of Friday's storm that left thousands without power.

Apart from the stacks, there is now a "charging station" in the where people can power up their electronic devices.

Next door in the , boxes of military-style, ready-to-eat meals are available.

The county executive designated the Elkridge library/senior center among the 18 cooling centers countywide where residents could find respite from the 94-degree heat.

Phil Lord, manager of the , said that opening as a cooling shelter was a first for the library, which also doesn't normally open on Sundays during the summer.

“About 600 people came in yesterday,” said Lord on July 2. “We had people from Baltimore County who called and asked for directions. People from around here wanted to know if we had Internet."

As of 8:15 p.m. Monday, nearly 13,000 residents in Howard County were still without power; that afternoon, the Elkridge library parking lot was nearly filled.

“This is actually a little more activity than you’d normally see at this time on a hot day,” said Lord at approximately 2 p.m.

Lord, who lives in the Rockburn area, said he didn’t lose power but his neighbors across the street did.

“It was the luck of the draw,” said Lord. “Last time, it was the opposite. I just got lucky.”

Others in nearby ,  and weren't so fortunate, with thousands in the dark through the weekend. 

Teen library specialist Sarah Russo said she harbored "some refugees from Catonsville" in her Elkridge home because they didn't have power in Baltimore County.

In case people weren't able to cook due to outages, the  received a shipment of “ready-to-eat meals” Monday morning. A handful of people had stopped by around mid-afternoon on Monday, July 2. There are approximately 24 packages available in the senior center available for the taking.

In the meantime, Howard County firefighters and paramedics are canvassing neighborhoods to make sure residents are safe, especially if they're using generators. Over the weekend, a from using a generator at his home.

Also in the storm's aftermath, some Elkridgeans have reported losing power Monday in non-storm-related outages.

The on Dorsey Road lost power for at least three hours Monday morning, which it reported on Twitter.

Rowanberry Drive lost power at 3:22 a.m. Monday, according to Twitter user kurt_r.

On Meadowridge Road, reported on Facebook that its phone service was out Monday.

Do you know of outages in Elkridge? Tell us in the comments, and report it to BGE at 877-778-2222.