News Release # 2026-012

Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

Following inter-agency consultation with the Charles County Department of Health and the Department of Social Services, Charles County Government closed its emergency shelter and warming center tonight due to low participation.

County officials will continue to monitor weather conditions and community needs and will reassess whether reopening the shelter is necessary should conditions warrant.

Residents experiencing a life-threatening emergency, including failure of medical device equipment due to a loss of power, should call 9-1-1 immediately. Residents experiencing a power outage should contact Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) to report the outage at (877) 747-6326 or online.  For all other non-emergency issues, residents may contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number at 301-932-2222.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed by monitoring official Charles County Government communication channels for updates, including the Special Alert Messaging page.

For additional information, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov.

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