With Almost 1,000 Calls in One Hour, Record Surge in 911 Calls During Storm Tests Washington County Emergency Services

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Washington County's 911 center handled over 1,500 emergency calls during April 19 storm, exceptional staff ensured operations continued running smoothly.

The severe storm that struck Washington County on Saturday night led to an unprecedented surge in 911 calls, temporarily overwhelming the county’s emergency communications system. Between 9:00 PM and 2:00 AM, more than 1,500 calls flooded the system, marking one of the busiest nights on record for emergency responders in the Hagerstown area.

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Call volume peaked between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM, when dispatchers handled 995 calls in a single hour. The overwhelming demand briefly exceeded the system’s capacity, resulting in some unanswered calls. Officials emphasized that while systems are designed to manage high call volumes, surges of this magnitude are rare and can momentarily outpace available resources.

In response, authorities urged residents to utilize the non-emergency number—240-313-4345—during major events if the situation does not pose an immediate threat to life or property. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to avoid duplicate calls from the same household, which can further delay response times during high-volume periods.

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Despite the extraordinary pressure, coordination between the Emergency Communications Center, Emergency Management, and Emergency Services ensured that emergency needs across the county were met. Emergency staff continued handling calls into the early morning hours, with 271 calls recorded at 11:00 PM and more than 140 additional calls logged between midnight and 2:00 AM. These figures do not include the volume of radio traffic or the number of dispatched incidents.

County officials commended the professionalism and collaboration of all departments involved. The rapid response and dedication of emergency personnel played a critical role in managing public safety during the high-impact weather event.

“This was a night like no other,” said Alan Matheny, Director of the Division of Emergency Management and Communications. “The volume of calls coming in all at once could have easily overwhelmed the system, but thanks to the exceptional training, teamwork, and dedication of our staff and supporting departments, we were able to keep operations running smoothly and continue serving our community when they needed us most.”

Currently almost 3,000 locations in Washington County are still without power, and storm damage cleanup continues across the area. Here is a brief video highlighting the excellent work performed by the Emergency Communications Center employees.