Families Displaced by Explosion Meet with County & State Officials (VIDEO)

Officials from Montgomery County, Maryland and federal agencies heard first hand how residents who lost their homes in Silver Spring explosion are coping. Fifty-three families have been staying at the Long Branch Community Center, the temporary shelter for displaced residents. County Executive Ike Leggett and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin met with some of the now homeless residents. They talked to the media about the families concerns.

Local and federal Investigators are still looking for answers in their probe of the explosion August 10 that killed at least seven people. Officials have not yet released the names of the deceased found in the rubble of the apartment complex at Piney Branch Road and Arliss Street. Authorities say they expect to have more information about the cause of the explosion. Last week authorities said they suspected a gas leak might be a contributing factor. Washington Gas workers have been testing gas lines around the Flower Branch Apartments. Officials today said residents still living in the complex and on nearby streets are safe.

About Phyllis Armstrong

Phyllis Armstrong is a multimedia journalist with more than 30 years of experience in writing, reporting and broadcasting. She covered a wide range of news interests and issues as a general assignment reporter for WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. from 1984 to 2009. Phyllis has continued to produce feature stories about local restaurants, culinary professionals and minority achievers for several online publications. Cooking, reading and Tai Chi are among are favorite things to do.

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