​Wind gusts topping 70 MPH and heavy rain caused significant damage; Work followed the previous restoration of more than 35,000 customers impacted by storms on April 9 and 10

BGE crews repair damaged overhead electric equipment in Catonsville, Md., on April 13.

BALTIMORE (Apr. 14, 2020) – BGE has restored electric service to more than 28,000 customers who lost power due to thunderstorms and high winds on Monday. Most of the outages were caused by strong winds knocking trees and large tree limbs onto power lines and other electric equipment throughout BGE's service area. BGE crews are working to repair any additional damage while following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health guidelines, practicing social distancing, and using protective equipment like masks and gloves when needed.  BGE increased staffing—including through virtual operations—and mobilized crews in advance of the storm.

"Electric service is vital, even more so now that everyone in the community is focused on maintaining health and safety during this COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate the support we've received as our crews worked quickly and safely to restore power under difficult conditions," said BGE President and Chief Operating Officer Stephen J. Woerner. "BGE's lineworkers and emergency response teams are committed to our community and to working safely despite back-to-back storms and this unprecedented health emergency. They were ready to respond when needed, in a manner that also respected the extra precautions necessary to maintain health safety for our employees and customers."

BGE's storm response team is continuously monitoring weather systems to ensure preparedness for future restoration efforts. Customers should also prepare for future weather events. A real-time outage map is available at bge.com/outages; outage and restoration numbers and outages broken down by county are available under the summary tab.

BGE asks all customers, including those with smart meters, to report their outage. Outages and downed wires may be reported by phone (877-778-2222), on BGE.com and on BGE's mobile app available at the Apple Store or Google Play. To sign up for email and text notifications, visit BGE.com/alerts.

As a reminder, never approach or touch downed wires. If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not leave your vehicle; warn others not to touch the vehicle or the wire, and call emergency services.

BGE's restoration priorities are public safety and critical care facilities, such as 911 centers, hospitals and pumping stations. Restoration is generally then scheduled so that the greatest number of customers can be restored as quickly and as safely as possible. However, in cases of extended power outages, consideration is also given to customers who have been without service for the longest amount of time.

 

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BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility and headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility. The company's approximately 3,200 employees are committed to safe and reliable energy delivery to more than 1.3 million electric customers and more than 680,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. In the J.D. Power 2017, 2018, and 2019 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Studies ^SM  BGE was ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Electric Service in the East among Large Utilities. In the J.D. Power 2018 and 2019 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Studies ^SM BGE was ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Business Natural Gas Service among utilities in the East Region. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider. Connect with BGE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and engage with the latest BGE stories on bgenow.com. 

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (or "BGE") received the highest score in the East Region of the 2019 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study and the East Large Segment of the 2019 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study of gas and electric utility customer satisfaction among business customers. Visit jdpower.com/awards.